It is not out of place to suggest that Veterans have played a huge role in shaping our history as we know it.

They risked it all, with bleak hopes of reuniting with their loved ones, coupled with the pain of losing their friends in the battle to fight for our freedom, sustaining the visions of our founding fathers through the years

Even though they make up 6% of our total population, they are people who are sacrificed everything for God and for country.

What can we learn from these men and women who have forfeited the comforts of their homes to ensure we reside peacefully in ours? What lessons can we glean from their lives when we look at their challenge coin display on their shelves?

We shall quickly dive into them.

Responsibility

More often than not, a lot of people mistake leading people as bossing others around. This line of thought is in total contrast to how the military operates generally and how our veterans went about their lives in the battlefield.

From their stories, we can tell that they possessed both the capacity to lead and follow and had a developed sense of responsibility. Responsibility, in this case, is putting others first before yourself and to hold yourself accountable. When this kind of character trait is ensconced in us all, it will set us apart from others and make us good leaders.

Make your life count.

Life, as they say, is fleeting. Our sojourn on this earth is short. We have a charge to make every bit of it counts towards fulfilling our goals and silence the naysayers who were always doubtful about your ambitions.

Make every moment count, because it may be your last. Develop yourself in every way you can and make quality relationships and make good memories.

Teamwork.

Often times when Veterans fall under enemy fire and when everything feels bleak, they reach out and encourage themselves to move and keep fighting. They feed off the energy of one another, even in the battlefield, to fight together as a unit to defeat their common enemy.

For us, the enemy may not be so much as an actual person, but a task that may seem herculean. Collaboration with our fellow team members, encouraging them every step of the way cannot be overemphasized. This will motivate everyone into completing the task in no time.

Keep hope alive.

Have you ever felt like giving up? Like everything isn’t going the way you would’ve preferred them to go? Like the universe is working against you? Well, guess what? The Veterans felt that way at some points on the battlefield.

There were days when they were behind enemy lines and their counterattack measures turned out to be failed attempts. It would seem like the enemies had gotten the upper hand. Still, they kept hope alive, encouraged themselves and kept fighting till they conquered their enemies. You can, too. You can conquer your fears by keeping the fire of hope burning in your heart.

Make tough decisions.

Veterans are known to make and follow on-the-spot decisions, despite when everything is at stake. Sometimes, they make decisions based on incomplete data and info about enemy whereabouts. Often times, they make decisions on a whim, banking not on the data they’ve been provided, but on their instincts. And we all can learn from this.

There are times when our instincts tell us to take a different mode of approach to something. This may be unconventional and may be frowned upon by those around us. But quick thinking and making decisiveness amidst rancor are what we require to drive our lives.

Understand your limits.

When Veterans are in the battlefield, they look out for weak spots of the enemies to exploit. They always try to understand the topography of the battleground and use this information to channel a course of action that will see them defeat their enemies.

What are our strengths and weakness? We need to come to full knowledge of this information and plan how we want to address a particular situation, should it be unplanned. We need to look for our ‘high ground’ and exploit every bit of it.

Time Management.

Everything situation they had faced in the battlefield, Veterans had faced it while working against time to see it accomplished. Most times, the odds were always against them, but they didn’t allow the situation to hinder the task at hand. They kept a positive outlook all the time and completed their tasks in record time.

Entrepreneurs generally practice this form of military focus in their dealings with tasks. The ability to prioritize and handle tasks in a fast manner in our daily lives at home or in the office will efficiently differentiate us from others.

Embrace Change.

The only thing constant is change. Vets know this. That’s the reason why they won their battles because they were always adapting to changes in plans right there on the battlefield. We can, therefore, win ours.

It may not be convenient for us; it may be way out of our comfort zones, but the most successful people in the world learned how to adapt to changes and to be flexible in varying approaches to life and their business.

It is inevitable that we will face changes at some points in our lives. However, how we react to these changes what will make the difference.

Value freedom

Be reminded that not everyone enjoys the liberty of living without dread. Our Vets have paid the price by fighting for our freedom. We owe it to them to not take it for granted.

Enjoy this moment.

Soldiers go into battle with the uncertainty of coming back in one piece hanging in the air. What we can learn from this is to appreciate where we are right now, because it’s all we’re guaranteed.

Our veterans have played their part by paying the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their countries. We owe it to them to not only celebrate them on Veterans Day but to learn from their lives and employ these lessons into our relations with others and with ourselves.