The War Within
Viktor Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. He lost his parents, his brother, and his pregnant wife to the Holocaust, and each day he lived under the threat of starvation, disease, and execution. Surrounded by cruelty and stripped of nearly everything he had, Frankl endured conditions that broke countless others.
As he watched men around him waste away, Frankl noticed something striking: survival wasn’t only about strength or health, it was about hope. Prisoners who mentally fixed themselves on a future date, believing they’d be released by Christmas, or see their families by Easter, often died soon after those days passed unmet.
When the hope they clung to collapsed, their bodies seemed to give out too. Frankl survived by holding to a different kind of meaning, not tied to a date, but to a deeper purpose. That conviction carried him through and became the foundation of his book Man’s Search for Meaning, which has inspired millions around the world.
Nothing I've encountered in my life touches the coat tails of Viktor's experience, but this story highlights some revelations I've realized about how we attack life.
In Viktor's experience there were men that had physically survived torture, starvation, and conditions we wouldn't wish on our worst enemy. Those external battles, though excruciating, were survivable to that point. Yet, it was the internal battles that ultimately extinguished their light.
In our own everyday lives I've come to realize that we experience a very similar dynamic. The external fights are so much easier to quantify and attack than the internal ones.
External Fight
The upside to an external fight is it's clear what you're up against. You're face to face with your opponent and it's fear alone that stops you from the fight. Clarity creates courage.
When the fight is out in the open, not only can you enlist help, often unity is strengthened through a common enemy. When you pull people in to help you with the fight, it is easier to rally when it's "us against them".
Progress is visible. When the struggle is outside of you, you can measure wins and losses. Every step forward builds momentum and makes the battle feel worth fighting.
I’ve always felt life would be easier if its battles were physical...something you could run at, press into, or fight your way through. For most people, though, the real fight isn’t like that at all.
Internal Fight
Regardless of what I want, life itself is more often than not, an internal battle. Life itself is a mind game. The gap between an average life and incredible on is in your ability to control your thoughts, impulses, and decisions.
When you’re stuck in your own head, the first problem is how convincing you are. If anyone can talk you into believing you’re right, it’s you. Most of us can avoid lying to others, but lying to ourselves comes far too easily.
This reality cultivates significant blindspots. When we're convinced our knowledge is truth, it's hard to be persuaded otherwise. This puts us in a very risky state of confidence.
In converse to the external, fights become difficult when you can't see your enemy. It's like driving in the fog, you slow down because you cannot see where you are going. It's like fighting a ghost.... because in truth you're really just conflict with yourself.
How to Win
Get the fight out in the open. If you're struggling with yourself, a decision, or relationship it's imperative to get the fight out in the open. Confide in someone that you can bounce your thoughts off of. It's crucial to have people in your life that is willing to tell you the truth, but it's also your responsibility to solicit candid feedback.
Work on yourself. Your ability to navigate your own emotions, thoughts, and relationships is in direct correlation to how much you practice getting better at it. The problem is.... there is no real practice in life. It's game day... every day. It seems many people feel that by living life they will just get better at it..... Intentionality is key. Reading and listening to personal growth material and then intentionally applying what you learn will make a huge difference.
Zooming out to the bigger picture can be a game changer. When you know what you're trying to accomplish in the bigger picture it helps to mitigate the emotional attachment to the struggle and assists you in navigating it objectively.
Today’s Forced Challenge: I want you to FORCE yourself to attack at least one of these challenges:
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External Awareness: Identify one external battle you’re facing and write down the exact opponent, person, problem, or circumstance; so it becomes clear.
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Internal Awareness: Journal the top three recurring thoughts that sabotage your decisions and name them for what they are: lies or truth.
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Truth Mirror: Ask someone close to you to give you one piece of unfiltered feedback....without defending yourself when they do.
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Subtract Lies: Identify one lie you tell yourself regularly and intentionally replace it with a written truth statement you read daily.
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Win Small: Choose one battle you can win today, no matter how small, and execute it fully to rebuild confidence and momentum.
At the end of the day, the greatest battles will never be fought in trenches or against enemies we can see. They’ll be waged in the quiet corners of our own minds, where hope collides with despair and purpose collides with fear.
The war within is constant, but it is also where freedom is forged. Win there, and every external fight becomes lighter. Lose there, and even the strongest body will eventually collapse. Hold fast to meaning, anchor yourself to purpose, and you’ll find that no prison, no pain, and no storm can take away the victory already written inside you.
“You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” — Marcus Aurelius
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