Click Here to listen to Episode 39
In the trenches
Rise and shine 6er,
All of us have gone through a negative experience in our lives and sometimes we cannot help but hold on to that pain until we get the answers we’re looking for. We ask ourselves, “What’s the point?” and think our current circumstances lead nowhere. As a result, we get stuck and continue down the rabbit hole of unanswered questions and hurt feelings.
This pain can come in many forms from losing someone close to you, missing out on a sure thing opportunity, or having a heartache strike when it’s not expected. There will come a day where our name won’t be on a list or unfortunate circumstances will enter our lives.
The truth is, life has always been and will always be full of chaos. Sometimes we’ll get the answers we’re looking for and sometimes we don’t. But accepting the chaos of life is better than trying to fight it. There is a way to cope that is much healthier than letting yourself spiral downward. The first step is to acknowledge that life is unpredictable but our own thoughts and actions are still something that is in our control. We can find resolutions within ourselves instead of looking to the world to give it to us.
That first step will give you a sense of direction and some level of control over your life. It’s the most important action you can take to create your own future despite what happened in your past. So don’t be afraid, we’re right behind you, and know that within each of us, lies the potential for great things. Let’s make it happen!
The INSUM
Intelligence summary of insights from this week’s podcast
Happy New Year, 6ers! What a year that was. I’m sure while many of us have a lot to be grateful for, we also had our fair share of pain and negative experiences this year that we need to leave behind as we welcome a new beginning.
In this week’s episode of Got Your Six podcast, we have Travis Mills. A former US Army Staff Sergeant, now an author, motivational speaker, and also the founder of the Travis Mills Foundation, a non-profit organization that assists post 9/11 veterans who have been injured in active duty or as a result of their service to the nation.
Travis is a quadruple amputee. His motto is “Never give up. Never quit” no matter the obstacles or circumstances and, I’d like to share with you three lessons I learned from Travis’ experience and how he overcame his own personal battles and life’s obstacles.
1. Stop asking why. Don’t berate yourself with the “Why stick” because it only leads to more self-doubt as it generates a confrontational cycle of argument and counter-argument. Instead, ask yourself actionable questions like “How?” and “What?” Unless we’re talking about knowing your life’s purpose and values, the “why” question does not really produce insights on how to move forward.
2. You have a choice. Exercise your power of choice and take your control back. Instead of reliving the past and allowing yourself to get consumed by negativity, understand that you can change your thought patterns and steer the course of your future with choices of action you take today. Just like what Travis said in the episode, “Every day is not like maybe a step in the right direction, but at least it’s a step forward.”
Keep yourself active. Meditate. Exercise. Catch up with a close friend or make a new friend. Who says you can’t rebuild yourself after a tragic accident?
3. Overcome your fears. Travis used to feel scared his kids might miss out on life because of the limiting physical condition. Fear paralyzes action and undermines our capacity for happiness. If you don’t face it, it can hold you back throughout your life. But, if you discipline yourself to move an inch towards it, it becomes more manageable and you will experience small increments of growth in confidence until the fear itself disappears.
Leaving the past behind doesn’t mean we completely forget about it. We can reminisce about the lessons it taught us while taking tiny little steps forward that will put in motion all the other pieces in our life. We won’t know our real strength lies unless we go through circumstances that forces us to bring it out.
Got Your Six is a growing community of resilient people who use the chaos of life to develop and rediscover their inner strength. Our battle cry is to take the challenge of becoming the best version of ourselves through actionable ways and shared knowledge from battle buddies we have on the show. With that, I’d like to share with you our growing community in Discord. Whether you wish to talk to fellow comrades and just hang out, if you want to grow your network, or just share anything, it is a safe space where we can all share our unique, individual journeys together.
If you’re suffering from loss and having a hard time letting go of the past, feel free to reach out anytime. You don’t need to go through your hardships alone. On the other hand, if you know someone having a tough time, we encourage you to be a battle buddy and share our newsletter. You never know how it might be of help!
That’s it for this week’s Episode 39 of Got Your 6 podcast with Travis Mills. You can listen to the whole episode to hear more about pushing forward in life and leaving the past behind.
You can also listen to some of our previous episodes to further enrich your experience and hear more about methods, ideas, and strategies that will help you get better as you tackle life’s challenges from the battlefield to the boardroom. Find us everywhere and on your favorite podcast platform.