Sons and Warriors
  • Home
  • Practical Activities
  • Bible Studies
  • Articles
  • Other Resources
  • Contact

Articles

Take a Knee

13/9/2017

0 Comments

 
I was on a training exercise once and late one evening while I was wrapping up some paperwork and chatting with a buddy a company commander came in and sat down next to us. He interrupted our conversation to ask us when we planned to get to bed. There was a shift change coming up and I wanted to be there to provide some continuity so I told him that I was going to be awake for another hour or so.

The commander scoffed in mock disgust and said, "Well, since I actually care about my Soldiers, I'm going to go to bed right now."

The look of confusion on my face showed that his comment had the desired effect. He went on to explain, "You guys are leaders. Your Soldiers depend on you to make good decisions. If you're exhausted, you're going to make shitty decisions and get your guys hurt. We owe it to our Soldiers to have a clear head and getting enough sleep is critical to that."
At the time, I had my doubts about his point, and to a certain degree I still do. But he wasn't entirely wrong either. If we spend all our time working for and taking care of those entrusted to our care we'll get worn down and become unable to perform at the level that we ought to. The level that we owe those we care for.

In failing to care for ourselves, we'll end up failing those we love. Yes, there's a line beyond which taking care of ourselves becomes selfish and ends up being self-serving. You've got to find that balance where you're taking care of yourself enough that you can then turn around and take care of your family.

It's easy to feel guilty about taking care of yourself. You might think, "Here I am going fishing with the guys while my wife is juggling three kids. I'm such a dick." Now, if you do this every week, then you're probably right, but if this is something you do every six months, there's no reason to feel guilty about it. In fact, you should feel guilty if you don't take care of your self properly.
Take care of yourself so that you can take care of your family.
0 Comments

    Archives

    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    Categories

    All
    Book
    Choice
    Conscience
    Control
    Decide
    Embrace The Suck
    Family First
    Focus
    Goals
    Initiation
    Insignia
    Language
    Legacy
    Manhood
    Militant Parenting
    Mindset
    Money
    Motivation
    Obituary
    Participation Award
    Plan
    Priorities
    Protector
    Questions
    Reaction
    Responsibility
    Sacrifice
    Science
    Self Care
    Shame
    Sheepdog
    Struggle
    Threats
    Time
    Tips
    Victim
    Weekly Challenge
    Worship

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Practical Activities
  • Bible Studies
  • Articles
  • Other Resources
  • Contact