In my life I’ve had several encounters with mortality. In 2016 I had the opportunity of surviving an aortic dissection, a couple years ago pulmonary embolisms, and recently mini strokes.
The PRINCIPLE of REFLECT in self-defense has brought light to these events. Although life threatening, they are rather experiences of living. In this light, creation of my world transforms into a world full of possibilities, crystal clear, living in the moment, and powerful created.
I find myself inspired by those who’ve gone before as warriors of life.
Much like the survivor of a vicious attack, I now REFLECT back and have gratitude not necessarily for living another few days or few years, rather extreme gratitude in unlimited possibilities of what I will create now in this world today, and in this moment!
I can remember waking after a 7 hour thoracic surgery, and a day, or so reviving from a medically induced coma to my family kneeling at my bedside smiling and my daughter playing the guitar, singing a song I had written for her as a little girl. Thoughts that came to mind in the next few days after massive amounts of tubes were disconnected and I was discharged as a miracle survivor to walk the earth a little longer. The thoughts? Life is short, really short and I wanted to make my life meaningful.
The temptation to live my past, and limit my future is no longer a consideration. Although for the first year I was in a drug induced haze, ashen for weeks like death warmed over, and would a couple years later, survive pulmonary embolisms, a hip replacement from an old throwing accident in training, and most recently mini strokes.
To me now, REFLECTION is present in the moment. Like in self-defense where being present is where outcome is creation of the future and the past serves no beneficial purpose in the moment, except learning from the experience itself.
In self-defense it is reflexive, REFLECTION from years of drilling defenses over and over again, improving on techniques through experiencing attacks at different speeds, different angles, different combinations and different attackers. The REFLECTION then is purposeful, and not pulling back to a life threatening event and reliving the pain, emotions and helplessness. It’s learning what works and what doesn’t.
Although some may experience ongoing trauma, and we do not condemn those who do. Those that REFLECT their past as experience, and work through whatever it takes as just part of their life, seem to move into a different way of living. They are more powerful, resilient and grateful for each day given them.
Limiting their future because of a loss of motion, an eye, a leg, or their ability to speak in full sentences is not an option. The REFLECTION is learning and experience. What might have come from that experience pertains to their future. To me, people that have experienced way more than I are the real super heroes of the world.
Consider that “the only easy day was yesterday,” a Navy SEAL mantra, and life lived no matter what happens is the blessing of life…
#warriorway #lifedefense # allenhughes #reflect
