Social Fitness Emotional Connection
The number one issue facing veterans is isolation. Veterans isolate for a number of reasons and this isolation causes anything from diminished self-confidence and low self-esteem all the way to suicide. A veteran that has isolated is hidden from the community – a pocket of despair that goes on unseen, seemingly invisible to the community and cared about by no one. Isolation is simply a symptom of lost sense of purpose. A veteran without purpose is a veteran without hope.
Do you tend to blame yourself for everything and is your internal self-talk often negative? Internal talk such as “Why did I do that stupid thing?”, “Why can’t I stop drinking?”, “Why do I always yell at those I love?” are driving us to depression and failure. If you can your internal question starting with “Because”. you are giving yourself permission to stay right where you are. Identifying, interrupting and restructuring this self-talk into a positive, empowering form helps your subconscious work on solutions that will help you overcome the obstacles and move towards a life you desire to live.
Last year, Dr. Jim Richards presented at the Raider Project transition seminar. He talks about the difficulty in emotionally connecting. In a recent Raider Project blog post he talks about how were were created to be social, emotional, relationship-oriented beings.
Being Emotionally Fit
Being emotionally fit requires you to be attentive to your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, whether positive or negative. Are you practicing emotional fitness? Are you able to…
- Arrive at personal choices and decisions based your feelings, thoughts, philosophies, and behavior.
- Connect emotionally to people.
- Live and work independently while realizing the importance of seeking and appreciating the support and assistance of others.
- Form relationships with others based upon a foundation of mutual commitment, trust and respect.
- Manage your life in personally rewarding ways, and taking responsibility for your actions.
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GallantFew Functional Fitness (GFIT)
Throughout the year we focus on various aspects of the GallantFew STAR and showcase how our programs and services layer into GallantFew Functional Fitness (GFIT).
GallantFew can help you identify where you are holding yourself back and help you become intentional in each of the five points of the STAR: Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, Professional and Social. To learn more visit our GallantFew Functional Fitness page.
Connecting with a GallantFew Guide is critical in helping a veteran make that transition and get connected to that local social network. Guide or not, make it a goal to meet one new person every week! If you are struggling, know that you are NOT alone. If you find yourself lost in social media, comparing your life to others, break away from it. Reach out to someone LOCAL and start talking! If you’ve received help from an organization, let them know!! Write a review, post on their FB wall, share your experiences on your social media.
Raider Project is a division of GallantFew (www.gallantfew.org), a peer-to-peer mentoring and assistance organization for US military veterans and their families. Their primary mission is to facilitate a successful transition from active duty to civilian life filled with hope and purpose.
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