There are times I wake up and feel off. Mentally, emotionally, and physically. It could be something small, or it could be something big. Doesn’t matter. The feeling is the same. Low energy, low drive, maybe even a little lost.
When that happens, I reach for Undaunted. Not because it’s some self-help book or motivational fluff, but because it was written by someone I know and respect. A Navy SEAL named McKinley. A friend. A real one.
I don’t have to read the whole thing. Just a couple of pages. That’s usually enough to kick me back into gear. It’s not about entertainment. It’s about resetting my mindset. It’s fuel for the brain.
One part that always sticks with me:
“When you check into BUDS, every SEAL candidate is told to purchase a copy of Sun Tzu’s Art of War. You’d better read it. All war is deception. The enemy is my friend.”
It’s that idea that no matter how ready you are, how sharp, how trained, life will still test you. That’s what McKinley calls Murphy’s Law. Things will go wrong. And you have to be prepared, mind, body, and spirit.
Another part that hit me:
“You can’t have a strong mind and a weak body, or a strong body and a weak mind. It doesn’t work that way. The mind is the master of the body.”
That balance, mental and physical, is something I work toward every day. That’s why I write. That’s why I work out. That’s why I stay focused, even in here. If one part slips, the rest follows.
McKinley even throws in a Star Wars reference. Yoda walking with a cane, looking frail, but when it was time to move, flipping through the air like gravity didn’t apply. Funny, but also true. You never know what someone is capable of.
Undaunted isn’t just a book to me. It’s a reset. When I’m off, it reminds me I still have something to give. I still have work to do. And I still have control over who I become, even while facing my situation.
That’s a good reminder from a good friend.
