Redeployed

Redeployed dan skognes motivation blogger speaker teacher trainer coach educatorRecently I was listening to the testimony of war veteran Brian Fleming. He spoke of how he had served in Afghanistan for America and was nearly killed twice. He received the Purple Heart for the second explosion which nearly took his life. He had second and third degree burns over his body when a suicide bomber exploded himself next to his Humvee. Despite the armor reinforcement and bullet proof glass, the explosion was so intense it destroyed his vehicle.

Remarkably, he survived the ordeal. To look at him today, you would never know he suffered anything…but suffering is something he came to understand at the deepest level. When he got his first bath at the hospital, his skin was so charred that they had to filet his skin to remove the debris. He literally was praying that he would die…yet he endured.  He not only survived, he thrived.

He recently co-wrote a book called Redeployed with another combat veteran named Chad Robichaux. It is subtitled: How Combat Veterans Can Fight the Battle Within and Win the War at Home. The proceeds for the book go to give free copies to Vets. It is tragic when someone goes to war and then returns home and loses their life. The Department of Veteran Affairs estimates twenty-two suicides occur daily amongst combat veterans. That has to stop.

Brian said that suffering ceases when you understand the meaning. He came to realize that his pain was not necessarily for HIM. It was for him to share and encourage others who were going through post-traumatic stress. His test has become his testimony, and it is powerful.

One bit of advice he gave was so solid: Quit asking “Why?” when something bad happens. There are no answers to “Why?” It is the wrong question. Ask “What?”

  • What am I to learn from this?
  • What am I to do now?
  • What can I do to help others that are going through this?

Those are healthy questions to move through the pain. I recommend you get a copy of his book for yourself or for someone you know who is struggling with overcoming trauma. You can purchase a copy on Amazon. He is a gifted speaker as well.  If you wish to have him speak at your company or organization, please go to KeynotePeople.com to check his availability.

P.S. Thanks to all of the military personnel who serve to protect our freedom. You are in my prayers. I am sincerely grateful for the sacrifices you make for our country on a daily basis. God bless each of you.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

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