Put the battle axe down one more time…

There are days that we wake up and just feel good. I love that total feeling of satisfaction. It is funny when you realize that it doesn't come from a particular act or outcome. It is from being at peace with yourself and right with the world. We can be satisfied on many levels, but it is rare to just be at peace with everything. There is usually some area of our life that we are "at war" with.

I work in outside sales in an industry that is hyper competitive and even at times a bit ruthless. I find that many days I am at war with myself, my manager, my reps, my competition, my clients and my prospects. At any given moment I can go from calm to battle ready. Whether fighting to resolve a customer issue or battle an internal fight protecting my turf. Over the last 5-6 years I have seen a lot of events that many times make me shake my head. I think that is where the anxiety came from. I never used to be anxious. This business has brought me to a place that really I would have rather avoided. The anxiety has shown me how frail we really are. It has also shown me how powerful our mind is. My job has made me acutely aware of how important it is to have strong emotional control.

In all of this "warring" we find ourselves in brief moments where everyone seems to put down their weapons and paused for a fleeting second. In those times when we are not wielding the battle axe we realize how precious these times are and how we would like to "stay in the moment." In Dallas it seems like the moments when the world just stops are far and few between. They are very powerful though, many times fueling us for months on end. Just like wood for a fire or gasoline to a car, they are the substance that gets us to our next destination. This contentment is spoken of in every religion and in every tongue and even spelled out in the nature clearly for everyone to witness.

Nature is the silent revealer of the truth. Just like a jury makes a declaration of guilt, nature convicts us of the truth which has been set before us. All one has to do is stop even if for a moment and really listen. Our senses reveal the truth that we already know in our hearts. It is interesting how each faith puts emphasis on being content and describes the process. What I do know is that when it happens; when the world stops even for a second you will know.

It is like the rush that an addict chases, we are all seeing satisfaction. We seek it on every level in each area of our lives. Once experienced you will never forget it; peace the solitary thought that resides with no other. When the mind is cleared of everything, when the battle axe is put down only then can you experience peace. Contentment is place that you can physically visit. Once you are there the only thought left is to stay there and the only goal becomes not drifting back. To be content is to be free of needs, wants or anxiety; contentment is the fuel for the engine of peace. Within peace we find the truths explained about the things that we experience in nature. Nature is a reflection of the creator, a mirror of his spirit and the product of his own hands. As we a molded creature of clay, formed by the work on the great potter's wheel. From dust we began and to dust we shall return.

Life moves so fast that we many times lose sight of anything important. As we get older we give up on learning, we do not impart our virtues that we believe in to others. I try to experience something new every day; feel a strong emotion every day; give of myself every day; believe something every day; use all of my senses to explain my surroundings. I hope that my battles in Dallas will eventually allow me to fall back from the front lines and become a observer of the insanity that is now our global community.

Today I will put the battle axe down just for a moment… and exhale…

Pirate Mike.

"As the sun rises from the depths of the water so to our hopes, dreams and aspirations are renewed; as the sun heads back to its watery grave so do our fears subside as we know with a new day comes new beginnings. Our failures have not chained us to our weaknesses but revealed them to ourselves so that can be overcome. Our strengths have been magnified to carry us through our failures to new heights."