Soldiers and Warriors

Do you ever think about the difference between a soldier and a warrior?
A soldier can become a slave to those who have the power to command them. They do what they are told, and they are not asked to think. They are asked to react in situations. They are trained to obey and to recognize that in a war, things are not up for discussion.
But even in the ranks of soldiers … one sees warriors arise. They have a mind and heart that has matured beyond immediate actions … without thought. They move into the space of knowing that doing what one is told may not be wise in specific moments. Those are the souls that respond because they know that others depend upon them. Warriors are often those that do the impossible because they are thinking of others. They intuitively go above and beyond the call of duty. They are often those that we call hero’s and they earn metals for bravery in the face of unrelenting forces against them.
I believe that within each soul we have both.
Some people will never know their own powerful warrior because they are too afraid to go against the rules and laws made by those that never want to go to war but only want to play the games of war with the lives of others.
Warriors rise because they determine there is a need.
A need for someone to stand up, face an enemy, and take a strong position that says that we will not go quietly into the night.
A warrior fights for the lives of others.
A soldier is willing to sacrifice his life for the ideals of others.
When was the last time you let that warrior inside of you … out? Do you know where to find him or her when you need them?
My warrior stands strong just behind my eyes. He looks at everything and scans for intent. While he is not seen by many, other warriors can see him clear as a bell.
And we acknowledge each other with the telling look, the nod of acceptance, and with respect for the authenticity that is required to be fully in a moment. Warriors know where the lines are drawn in their world. And they sense the boundaries of others intuitively. Yet, they choose to fully be here now.
Most people are oblivious to the subtle domains that warriors live and breathe within.
Warriors are the lions that watch the other beasts pass by.

Warriors sense when something new comes into their territory.
Warriors allow many to pass through uninterrupted.
And warriors can sense intent and those that want to intrude.
My warrior does not have the intent to hurt anyone unless that other is holding an evil agenda. Even then my warrior will not act but watch. It will follow closely but from a distance. It will pass right by that person … sniffing the air and learning much through utilizing all his senses.
And still … he will not act. My warrior is here to protect and defend what matters to him. If another wants to take what does not belong to them, he will attempt to thwart the actions of those weaker in subtle ways where they will find their plans suddenly fall apart. He will not engage his full power with those too weak to understand or know the jungle in which they have wandered into.
He will just limit their ability to be effective and force them to abandon their plans from sheer frustration.
He does not seek conflict. He just knows that conflict will always cross his path eventually. He accepts that conflict will try to darken his doors and throw him off in order to gain what that person wants.
But his vigilance means that he is never a victim.
Being a warrior has a creed that must be followed.
That creed is that a warrior never blames another for that warrior not being ready or aware.
A warrior does not give up because it is not in his make up to give in.
A warrior understands that life without challenges is an empty life.
A warrior knows that those with less awareness will eventually need him.
When that happens, he will accept the call.
He will stand with those that have the courage to know that life will demand everything from us eventually.
A warrior will not run away but stand his ground.
Because the ground upon which he stands instantly becomes sacred ground for those he is willing to protect.
When a warrior declares that sacred space, songs will be written, tales will be told, and stories will be sung about him for generations.
The bravery of a warrior matters not in those moments, that he faces truth.
To him or her, it does not matter if he or she lives or dies, because integrity and courage can never be taken away from such souls … even in death.

~Suzanne Wagner~