Veni, Vidi, Vici

Have you ever felt like you can’t make a single decision because every path you take leads you where you don’t want to go? Your tears are screaming out of the room and no one comes to relieve you? Do you know the pain and agony when everything falls apart right before your eyes and you are left with nothing after sacrificing everything? Do you know the frustration and desperation when you’ve fought for so long and the tide of the battle abruptly dives south? 

Class!—raise your hand if any of you know the answer to this question! What are the three main types of conflicts that take place within literature? I’m no literary genius, but I think they go as follows:

Man vs. Self

Man vs. Man (Woman)

Man vs. Nature

Okay. Good, good. We’ll work our way to the top, now.

Man vs. Nature usually depicts something like a guy trying to scale Mt. Everest. Or a hurricane ruining someone’s house. Pretty straightforward. If you’re fighting nature, truly, you have no control over your decisions because you’re making choices to survive. And when it comes down to surviving there are few rational options. Nature is indifferent to man. Moving on.

Man vs. Man is like a guy having a conflict with a guy. Or a girl. Or anyone. Whether it be a full-scale war or a small-scale argument between two individuals, it’s a bit more strung out than man vs. nature because of the fact that two sides are making choices, two sides are acting for themselves. Both sides have consciences, impulses and a will to follow through with whatever they desire. Multiple minds, multiple hearts and countless, possibly conflicting, views. A little complicated. Sometimes this type of conflict involves violence, physical or mental. The resolutions involve humility, compromises and letting go of pride. That’s it in a nutshell.

Now, the focus of this rant; man vs. self. It’s crazy because most of the other types of conflicts involve this one as well.

Usually going at odds with someone else starts with an issue within. How does scripture go? ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ Right? So when we decide to put someone down or act upon another, it always starts inside of you.

Because of the fact that we have no control over natural disasters and random accidents, and because people usually will act on their own accord even if their decisions conflict with ours, things will always go wrong. Because this world is broken and nothing is perfect, we will always suffer.

As stated before, if there is no suffering there is no victory, right? It’s too right.

This is a nice little run-through on this war within; the fight to get what we desire, and the fall when we don’t. 

Sometimes we can’t get what we want. And then every decision after that realization leads us down roads we don’t want to go with. I’m here to say that your suffering and resentment will be little or none if you can just accept things for how they are and suck it up and move forward. Without peace you won’t ever be free, but with it you can fly.

When problems arise, don’t walk away from them. Fix them. But it’s the pain within that you have to deal with.

The point isn’t to just endure, but to embrace. Embrace your cross and carry it, and someday you’ll make it to the top of the hill. Do not shut out the world. Don’t look away. Stare into it and make it your own. Win the battle.

“Because in life, there are always battles. You will always suffer casualties. You will have scars and wounds that will take time to heal. Sometimes we choose the wrong fights. Sometimes we get destroyed but that gives us time to rebuild. Sometimes our allies turn on us, and sometimes our worst enemies become our greatest friends. Sometimes the bombs will fall from the sky and enemy soldiers will line the coast but you cannot surrender.

This is a war. Fight for what you believe in, fight for what your heart desires and fight for what you know is right. And never back down. 

Not everything has a happy ending. Things are just that way. Some problems will remain unresolved forever. Some questions are meant to remain unanswered and some fights are supposed to be just stalemates. Learn from everything and never stop. And as I’ve said before, love and never relent.

“This is a call to arms to fight the demons inside. Embrace the enemy and keep up the good fight because your victory will be in accordance to the blood you bled and tears you’ve cried. This is a call to arms to stand up for what you believe in and let nothing stand in your way.

My friend, pick yourself up. Remember this is not the first time you’ve been knocked down. And it isn’t the last time. Rise. 

Don’t fear suffering. The only we have to fear is fear itself, right? Cuz we will suffer. One way or another. Might as well take it. 

Our ‘enemies’ are heavily numbered. They range from crazy ex’s, to drugs and alcohol. Fights, sexual urges, and just simple disagreements with the bestie. Priorities, school, work and just day to day life. The past, present and future. Failings, trials and tragedies. I’m telling you, don’t let these things tear you apart. I can’t even say I’ve named everything, but you get my point.

 "You'll win some, then you'll lose some. Don't ever relent when you know what you're doing is right. You can overcome most things that nature will throw in your face. You can eventually work out amends with whoever you're at odds with. 

But the fight within will never end. The overall war will end when you die, so win what battles you can. Win the right ones. I'd say that this is your call of duty, this is the war. This is your life. This is your call to arms.

-GV

"Did you ever believe?

Were you ever a dreamer?

Ever imagine heart open and free?

Did you ever deny?

Were you ever a traitor?Ever in love with your bloodless business?

This is a call to arms, gather soldiers

Time to go to war

This is a battle song, brothers and sisters

Time to go to war."

-"Vox Populi"

This is War

30 Seconds to mars