Live to Fight Another Day: Personal Rallying Cries

The Left’s assault on American history, tradition, values, and culture continues unabated. Nearly everyday, we learn of new attempts to undermine our national sovereignty, election integrity, and law and order. As human beings we already are subject to highs and lows within the course of a day. Add the hostile, contemporary political landscape, and who among us can stay on an even keel?

Sometimes it’s hard to find a friend. It can be hard to know what to do next. If matters are going well, happiness ensues, and we’re not all that conscious of the time. If things are not going so well, time seems to slow down.

What Can I Handle

Throughout my adult life, when I feel immobilized, I’ve employ catchphrases that spur me on to action. One of these key phrases is, “Live to fight another day.” What do I mean by “live to fight another day”? Certainly, it has nothing to do with physical combat. It means that if nothing seems to be going well, and I’m in a quandary, I look for what I can handle in the present and can complete.

Suppose I’m feeling lonely or overwhelmed, or a have a lack of clarity. I say to myself, “Live to fight another day,” which translates into: I don’t have to necessarily deal with any of those obstacles at the moment, as long as I take care of items that need to be handled. This is an antidote to fretting about my current turmoil and to not taking care of other things.

When I complete tasks, around the house or around my office, whether or not I have attained clarity, I feel less overwhelmed and less encumbered by whatever has been weighing on me heavily: I have at least finished these other tasks.

Sunday Afternoon

Suppose it’s a Sunday afternoon, and nothing seems to be going well; I feel as if the world is passing me by, and experience a “dead space” in the middle of the day. I rally myself by thinking, “Live to fight another day.” I then look around the house for all the items that need to be tackled.

Are there dishes in the sink? Does the living room need cleaning? Does the front porch require sweeping? Is anything left undone in the backyard? Alternatively, I’ll handle accumulated email correspondence, visit websites that I’ve been intending to visit, or do reading that I’ve saved for the proverbial rainy day.

Following the rallying cry, “Live to fight another day,” as soon as I engage in one or more of the above activities, I feel better. Once such tasks are completed, maybe I’ll emerge from my mental rut. Maybe not. In either case, I’ve created a clearing for myself because the items I have completed do count for something.

Now, I could call a friend, see a movie, take a walk, open a book, watch a show, cook a dish, or do something that represents the next step. On other days and at other times, other opportunities will unfold. For now, I’m doing what I can, and that’s fine.

The Rallying Cries of Others

Two years ago, I began collecting the personal, uplifting catchphrases of others, employing a simple, hard copy, “survey” form, in person. I’d ask, “Do you have a catchphrase, motto, saying, or personal rallying cry? For example, when I feel immobilized, I rely on a phrase that spurs me on to action: ‘Live to fight another day.'”

The responses varied widely, some were captivating, some mundane, some religious, and some were cryptic. Here are examples of the personal rallying cries that I collected:

* You are always enough.
* Be consistent, be rational, be proactive, be creative,.
* Be a problem solver, not a problem.
* Oorah!

* Don’t be upset about failure, be excited for the comeback.
* And this too shall end.
* It’s not going to fix itself.
* Everything will be okay.

* Stuff happens.
* Each day is a gift, so live it to the fullest.
* If it was easy, everybody would do it.
* They are doing the best they can in the moment.

* I am grateful for who I am, what I am, what I know, and what I have.
* This is just the first round.
* Don’t be thrown off your game.
* On to the next.

* This is not in your notes. This is extra.
* The Mariela of another dimension said, ‘Yes’ to this without fear.
* Ah, the wonder of it all.
* What if this is okay?

Such responses made me realize that rallying one’s self can indeed help to unleash untapped potential at times when we might otherwise feel defeated or, perhaps worse, undertaking doing nothing of value.

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