THE TRAGEDY OF DYING INSIDE

By Mike Sanders, President and Founder of Junto Tribe

WHAT’S THE POINT?

 “The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives.”

Albert Schweitzer

SEEK

 Need analysis: Something inside you has changed. You remember a time when you had dreams, passions, and hopes for your life. Unfortunately, these seem to have been lost somewhere and left to die along the wagon trail of life.

 A few years ago, I went to see a counselor. I went because I knew that something inside of me wasn’t right. I felt a stirring deep inside my soul that needed settling.

 In my attempt to find peace, I asked my counselor a few forthright questions. “Is there something wrong with me? Am I anxious? Depressed? Do I need to get on medication?”

 I’ll never forget his response. He said, “Is there something wrong with you? Are you anxious and depressed? Do you need medication?” He asked the questions, looked at me with piercing eyes, and said, “Some may agree that you do. But I don’t. I just think the Holy Spirit is trying to get your attention and you’re not listening.”

 As you can imagine, this blew me away. With that, I realized that I had so much more of myself to give, that life was much more than what I was getting and giving, and that I had allowed the stresses and distractions of the world to drive me into giving up on some of my passions, dreams, and hopes.

Have you ever felt this way? Do you ever, in your quiet moments of reflection, feel the same emptiness and confusion deep inside your soul?

ADAPT

The day we’re born, we come into the world a brand new, fresh being who has the whole world before us. Our journey has begun, and we are thrust into this big world with our futures before us. Of course, we begin to grow in body, mind, and spirit. Furthermore, we begin to develop passions, dreams, and inspiration – the things of life that push us forward into a future of expectation, anticipation, and hope.

As we’ve discussed over the past few weeks, however, challenges and resistance are part of our journey and how we deal, grow and mature from those makes all the difference in our ability to keep our hopes and dreams alive.

The threat to us all is allowing self-doubt, insecurity, and fear to metastasize into wounds that deepen.  Soon, these distractions rob us of our hopes and dreams, and we abandon the path we were on towards achieving them. May I suggest that some of life’s greatest tragedies occur when we give up on those amazing qualities – qualities that make us extraordinarily human? A loss of our dreams and hopes leads to a sort of captivity of the soul.

God never wanted us to feel like we’re just another cog in the wheel of the universe, living for today, holding tight to distractions that we believe are important, and feeling as if we’re losing our grip on the meaning of being human.

Here’s what God tells His exiled people in Jeremiah 29:11-14:

 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.”

Here’s the bottom line: Your path for achieving your dreams will more than likely be confusing and seemingly unachievable. But we must not give in because we can’t see what lies around the bend. We must believe and trust that God has put those on our hearts for a reason and must continue to move forward into the unknown wilderness until they have come true. God is as interested in those dreams and hopes as you are. More than likely, He’s the one that has given them to you in the first place.

ENDURE

Dreams, hopes, and passions give life to the hearts of men. A large part of life is using them in conjunction with the love inside you. These are reflections of our Creator, and we should use those traits to touch other people’s lives for the greater good of humanity. Not for ourselves, but to be a beacon for God’s love – to love others as He loves us.   

GO FORTH

Allow His glory to shine through you. It’s going to take much work, commitment, dedication, sacrifice, and moxie. You must stand up, accept the challenge, and do the daily, hard, grinding work it takes to make your dreams, hopes, and passions see the light of day.

Apply to a Mighty Oaks Program Today

The Mighty Oaks Warrior journey begins with intensive peer based programs that utilize instructional sessions, camaraderie, and team building activities that are designed to challenge our Warriors to overcome their past experiences and move forward into a life of purpose. Our programs take place all across America on Military Bases, at our Outposts, and on rural ranch lodges. Each facility allows the Warriors to appreciate the peace of nature, and have an “un-plugged” experience while they focus on the challenges they face in completing the program.

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