It’s something that I hear from nearly every veteran I work with in therapy. It’s one that I lived my life by for nearly 25 years. “I gotta be ready.” “I have to be prepared.” It’s the one phrase that I heard constantly, regardless of were I was stationed or Read more…
I’ve had a couple of military friends share some all-to-common news recently; promotion selections in their respective branches have been announced, and it turns out that they were not selected for promotion. Beyond their own personal ambition, they are consistently told by those around them, “you should have been picked,” Read more…
What does it mean for a service member to have a “good” transition out of the military? Generally most would agree that the service member is successful in their transition if they are able to obtain employment, maintain quality relationships, and enjoy physical and psychological health. One where the service Read more…
The arrows of malevolence, however barbed and well pointed, can never reach the most vulnerable part of me – George Washington During George Washington’s second term in office, he was getting bombarded by criticism. Federalists, who wanted a strong central government, were dissatisfied with him, and ambitious Republicans, who advocated Read more…
On mid-tour leave from my first tour in Afghanistan, I was having lunch in an airport with a First Sergeant. I have no clue who he was; one of those connections you make on a military flight from one location to another. We start to shoot the breeze on the Read more…
This may come as no surprise, but how we see the world can be helpful or harmful to mental health and wellness. This isn’t just about positivity or optimism; studies show that our outlook on the world and other people can protect us from the impact of negative life events. Read more…
What has been done is enough. It’s hard to think that, for many veterans. Sometimes, those who served struggle with the thought that they could have done more. Whether you served three years or twenty-three, there is a feeling of leaving something on the table, leaving a job undone, somehow Read more…
If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough. Meister Eckhart Gratitude has the power to uplift the heart and raise the spirit. I’ve written before about the power of gratitude, but it is always good to take the time to Read more…
Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness- Desmond Tutu Veterans can be a pessimistic group. I’m not saying that there’s something wrong with that; just making an observation. The military made us this way, right? Constant vigilance. “Hope for the best, but Read more…