Finding One’s Way After War

By on September 3, 2009 in Uncategorized

 Question:

I am 23 year old man, a combat veteran of the US ARMY, and had a 15 month deployment to Iraq from which I was diagnosed with PTSD. As a result of my PTSD, my wife and I of two years have just recently decided to divorce. Over the last few days, I realized that my entire life has been spent trying to find some blinding happiness to drive away depression and more importantly fear. But whenever I find this bliss, it of course always fades or dissipates entirely, and I am left feeling the rebound pain of sadness. Now, I feel like something inside me has woken up, and it’s calm and steady and I only desire now to find peace and clarity. I don’t know if it’s a place, or a person, or just a decision, but I feel like living in the next five years and planning my career and worrying about how long I might be alone is all just worthless, because it’s arrogant of me to assume I know what will happen tomorrow. I see today in a whole new light, and feel like a life of peace is all I’ve ever wanted, but I just didn’t know the difference between peace and glee. I’ve read your ideas, checked out your site, and my question is, am I on the right track?
 
Answer:
 
You are most definitely on the right track. The calm and steady presence that has awoken within you is the emergence of your core self. The knowledge that comes from this silent self has led to your insight that what you are really seeking is a sense of enduring peace rather than   intense happiness. With this transformation  in perspective you  shift your reliance upon the ego with its need to worry, control, and plan the future. These experiences all indicate that you are doing very well indeed in your spiritual journey.
 
I have to say too that I am quite impressed with where you have arrived at given all you have gone through recently. In your short life you have already seen and endured situations as a combat soldier that most of us will never have to in our entire lives. Given the scars you carry from your war time and the more recent pain of your divorce, it would be understandable if you hadn’t found your inner bearings for some time. It is a great testament to your honesty and sincerity that you took the raw materials of your life experience and found what was real and true deep inside of you.
 
Love,
Deepak

 

 

 

About Deepak Chopra

Time Magazine heralded Deepak Chopra as one of the 100 heroes and icons of the century, and credited him as "the poet-prophet of alternative medicine." Entertainment Weekly described Deepak Chopra as "Hollywood's man of the moment, one of publishing's best-selling and most prolific self-help authors." He is the author of more than 50 books and more than 100 audio, video and CD-Rom titles. He has been published on every continent and in dozens of languages. Fifteen of his books have landed on the New York Times Best-seller list. Toastmaster International recognized him as one of the top five outstanding speakers in the world. Through his over two decades of work since leaving his medical practice, Deepak continues to revolutionize common wisdom about the crucial connection between body, mind, spirit, and healing. His mission of "bridging the technological miracles of the west with the wisdom of the east" remains his thrust and provides the basis for his recognition as one of India's historically greatest ambassadors to the west. Chopra has been a keynote speaker at several academic institutions including Harvard Medical School, Harvard Business School, Harvard Divinity School, Kellogg School of Management, Stanford Business School and Wharton.His latest book is "Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul."
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2 Responses to Finding One’s Way After War

  1. Word_Bandit September 2, 2009 at 11:07 pm #

    My prayers and good thoughts for your health and well being.

    Mending takes time. Take it one day at a time. Though I've not fought in combat, I've been through many life "war zones," equally devastating in their own way. Sometimes just asking for that love is enough.

    G-d will affirm love and beauty in miraculous ways.

    Just ask. And you may find the unexpected happening.

    Peace to you.

  2. mydomainpvt September 3, 2009 at 12:07 am #

    dear deepak,

    beautiful answer. hope he finds lasting peace soon.

    Wish you love, peace and happiness.

    Trisha