A Spirit Warrior’s Mindset

In the following situations, you’ll recognize how cultural myths and fears showed up in my experiences and how I overcame them through faith. This does not mean your situation will happen the same way. However, it will provide clues and confirm when we stand firm and seek God in the middle of a spiritual storm, the raging winds will not harm us. Change Is Imminent It all begins with the understanding of change. No one is exempted from its experience. Change can appear in many forms within our lifetime. It often happens when we least expect it. Different types of barriers come along with change, and examples of identifiers signal a change is coming. As humans, we seldom consider change inevitable. How can anyone stop change? We can’t! There is one thing for sure, “change is always happening!” Have you ever noticed the growth of a child, pet, or plant? Do you remember watching it every day, and it looked as if nothing was happening? Then, suddenly (seemingly overnight), you noticed things drastically changed. Change must create space for growth, wisdom, and the opportunity for insight. It would be unreasonable to refuse, ignore, or attempt to arrest “change” and keep it from happening. Instead, avoid the stress of struggling. Adapt to change, and let it flow. It is factual that some people honestly believe they can control “the organic formation” of evolution and stop it from evolving. Change is not possible to hold, consume, or prevent. One way or another, it will happen. The question is, when? Let’s start by discussing “How to recognize a forthcoming event that may alter a situation?” One can note a transition by identifying something currently causing a paradigm shift (i.e., ideas of a recession, lay-offs, conversations about the economy, and the behavior of others). You may ask, “What’s next, or what do I do now?” At that moment, recognize the possible barriers you may encounter. Next, you must educate yourself in that area. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you while decision-making to ensure you’re aligned with God as you watch the metamorphosis happen. Finally, trust your connection to Source, and trust the process. I’m not saying you must become your god, but become aware of individual moments that are evident and commands your attention. Previously, you may have tried to avoid engaging with this process due to unknown fears about the outcome. Perhaps, the fear of encountering the ripple effect caused by negative exposure, embarrassment from friends or loved ones you trust, previous hurt, or merely required expectations for you to change a current lifestyle? Except, you realized if you had followed the nudge of curiosity, your situation might have been significantly better than it turned out. Inside this book, you’ll find an exclusive bonus course called “30-Days to Develop a Spirit Warrior’s Mindset.” These are the very same practices I use when working with my coaching clients. By incorporating its framework, one can be conscious of habitual behaviors that have gone unnoticed. It’s also a great way to kick-start the process of transformation. Why is it so hard for humanity to embrace change? People fear the unknown, and society tells us to plan for systematic outcomes. When outcomes differ from expectations, shame presents itself as “something went wrong.” We would never get stuck if we could view the outcomes as temporary assignments. It became vivid to me after being medically retired from the military. “I’ll discuss this more in Chapter 2.” It wasn’t long ago when I found myself amid a problematic situation while transitioning from service in the U.S. Army (which prompted me to shed light on this dark area of understanding the transition process). The experience motivates me daily to empower others to become informed individuals and encourage them to stay connected to their faith no matter how it hurts emotionally. Survival during difficult times has a direct coalition with our connection to God. But how can we know if we don’t connect with ourselves first, others second, and allow our intellectual powers to discover the world of opportunities and hidden resources within the universe? I was injured while on duty for several years before exiting the military. At the time, I’d accumulated seventeen years of active duty and was near the end of my service (three years remaining before I became eligible for retirement). I didn’t expect to incorporate a neck injury into my exit plan. For years, I’ve prepared strategies for the “next step of my future and career” and diligently focused my actions toward my dreams. Until the day I had an “And Suddenly” moment. A whirlwind of change happened right before my eyes. I was no longer in control and couldn’t do anything about it. It was mid-spring, a sunny day with clear clouds and seventy-eight degree temperatures, and flowers bloomed with low precipitation. Having a carefree weekend (a parenting break), I visited a girlfriend stationed near Virginia Beach, VA. While there, I remembered I needed to replace the chair legs for a recently purchased resale sofa. She and I visited a local hardware store. After locating the aisle with sofa legs, she moved in haste as I scrolled behind her, hoping to find the right pair. My bestie noticed more on another shelf in a different row and approached the next aisle to obtain them. I walked behind her with excitement. Before reaching for the bottom rack, I cleared both sides of the aisle as if I were at a stop light. First looking to my left, then to the right, and again to the left. The area was all clear. I bent down with one hand extended toward the shelf. Slowly examining the styles, it was within one inch from my fingertips, and “BAM!” I felt a terrible hit on the lower right crown of my head and neck. With a vision of white specks briskly floating all around my eyes, my ears began ringing loudly, and a feeling of nausea overcame me...