Rising From My Own Ashes

The title of this article is also the title of my book. I wrote the book and this article to pay tribute to my fallen comrades and to those who are still struggling as they try to heal. As the reader, absorb the following information from my book that I wish to share.

As time moved on, I was no longer an actual part of this inherited nightmare, but these same events were outsourced and placed in the back of my mind until someone or something triggered its return. For that period of dismissal, I became a functional human being. Still, fifty years later, that luxury of being this determined person was based on my will to make my healing happen. My sense of overcoming and mastering my past with its upheavals was interrupted by my inability to surrender my pride by looking for ways to humble myself in my healing. As I did fifty years ago, I needed to admit that my problems persisted despite my life production after the fact. Once I entered that space, my problems became more manageable.

I have grown to realize that my post-war experience and the valued education I was able to secure afforded me that understanding of making my life better. However, my life’s journey also taught me that these tragic events don’t go away and only fester until you take charge of your life. If you repeat behaviors, if you don’t look for mindful and viable alternatives, the life you live will never be different. Your subconscious mind holds all beliefs that you placed there over time. To fix that, visit the ugly side of your life to see the beauty. This clearly shows that all is not lost if you forge a purposeful life after the fact.