We all enjoy Veterans Day as a day off, a three-day weekend, or a morning where you don’t have to wake up at 6:00 am (or earlier). Although it is all of those things, it is so much more than that. It’s easy to forget how in other parts of the world there’s war and destruction. People are losing everything they own, their homes, where they should feel safe, and everyone in their families while we complain that we have to study for a test, or don’t have enough followers on Instagram. While we focus on “surviving” the challenges of a typical school day, other children in the world are fighting for survival with each passing moment. They’ve had to stay silent while the walls around them crumble. Our amazing military is constantly risking their lives to protect ours. On this day we thank those who served, whether they lost their life or survived.
I collected the thoughts of my uncle, Kevin Sullivan, he shared:
“I joined the Navy after graduating from law school. I served as a Navy JAG from 1995 to 1999. The recruiting commercials used to say the military was “a great place to start,” and it was for me. I got to represent clients and try cases right away while serving my country. It prepared me well for the rest of my professional career. I also got to meet and serve with a lot of great people.”
The decision to join the military force takes a great amount of courage, as we all know. They take on intense training, which doesn’t just demand one to push themselves to the brink physically, it also shifts mentality. When people learn about the military, they often have one of two reactions: either they think, “I want to do that,” or they feel, “I’m not strong enough for that.” (I was thinking of the second one). However, there is that person who is a mix of both, they want to, but they don’t believe they’re strong enough.
If you don’t think you can, you’re right, you can’t. To do anything the first step is to tell yourself it’s possible. The next step is to go for it, don’t wait for motivation. Don’t scare yourself by wondering if there will be challenges. There will always be challenges, and that’s when we can take the chance to adapt and overcome them. Redefine challenge into “an opportunity to grow stronger, smarter, better”. Even if we don’t have a personal interest in the military, it’s important to honor and channel the strength, resilience, and sacrifice of those veterans in our lives or those we learn about.
