U.S. FALLOUT FROM UNJUST WARS / INCREASED VETS SUICIDE RATE

One U.S. veteran of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan attempts suicide every 80 minutes, according to new study and 1,868 veterans made suicide attempts in 2009 alone. Taught to kill in a morally unjust occupation and pacified by drugs, many returning veterans rapidly find themselves in a no-choice situation where life is no longer worth living. As such, PTSD is the silent scream that is never heard but acutely experienced: Allen L Roland

“I cry for no reason, my country shouts treason

All the pills and the booze,

make bad memories ooze

I was 19 in June,

under a bright crystal moon

I died that day,

but I’m still here to say

For the brave and the free,

my award PTSD.”

Excerpt from poem titled “PTSD” by Tony McNally

How fitting on Pearl Harbor day, December 7^th ~ to write about America’s greatest shame ~ the rapidly increasing veterans suicide rate whereas one U.S. veteran of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan attempts suicide every 80 minutes, according to a new study and where 1,868 veterans made suicide attempts in 2009 alone.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2057061/One-U-S-veteran-attempts-suicide-80-minutes-Hidden-tragedy-Afghanistan-Iraq-wars.html#ixzz1fXIw6yxG

Is it possible that sending our young people off to fight in morally unjust wars and occupations to supposedly ‘serve’ their country has not adequately prepared them for the harsh reality of witnessing and participating in both the unintentional and intentional killing of innocent civilians ~ as well as the unsettling awareness that their cause was not a morally just cause?

The answer is an unequivocal YES and this shame based guilt is a common symptom among the scores of combat veterans I have worked with in my heart centered Healing the Wounded Heart workshops ~ which includes Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans. Combat vets with PTSD truly know the price they pay for the false dreams of their political leaders. See article ~ http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/11/14/combat-ptsd-vets-know-price-they-paid-for-a-false-dream/

Greg Zoroya also writes in USA Today that Feelings of Guilt may be a top factor in PTSD. http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/story/2011-11-23/study-of-marines-ptsd/51386488/1

Excerpt: “A leading cause of post-traumatic stress disorder is guilt that troops experience because of moral dilemmas faced in combat, according to preliminary findings of a study of active-duty Marines. The conflicts that service members feel may include "survivor's guilt," from living through an attack in which other service members died, and witnessing or participating in the unintentional killing of women or children, researchers involved in the study say… The idea of "moral injury" as a cause of PTSD is new to psychiatry. The American Psychiatric Association is only now considering new diagnostic criteria for the disorder that would include feelings of shame and guilt, says David Spiegel, a member of the working group rewriting the PTSD section.”

Zoroya confirms the depth of this ongoing moral injury ~ Half of all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans treated by the Department of Veterans Affairs have been diagnosed with mental health issues and the most common is PTSD, which is experienced by nearly 200,000 of these veterans, according to the VA. PTSD caused by moral injury can lead to more severe reactions such as family violence or even suicide, says Jonathan Shay, a psychiatrist who has worked on military mental health policies… their condition was more closely linked to an inner conflict rather than threats to their lives, the sight of bodies or blood or family problems, the study said.”

The words of Winter Soldier and combat vet Mike Prysner speak for many veterans ~ who feel betrayed by their government and know that the real enemy is our own bought politicians and Military/Industrial complex ~ that still use and teach racism to justify our illegal and morally repugnant wars and occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan and eventually, if we don’t stop them, Iran.

Five minute Video ~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow38iOYXx5Q&feature=related

So now let’s talk about the moral shame and guilt of our military when they realize they are often the foot soldiers and pawns on a global chessboard ~ where they are willingly sacrificed by the whims of the kings and queens of the global financial elite as well as the Knights of the Military Industrial Complex.

Let’s use Pearl Harbor ( December 7,1941) as an example ~ On March 11, 2002, Douglas Cirignano interviewed Robert B. Stinnett , author of Day Of Deceit , in an extensive interview which asked the question Do Freedom of Information Act Files Prove FDR Had Foreknowledge of Pearl Harbor?

Excerpt: “Stinnett’s book is dedicated to Congressman John Moss, the author of America’s Freedom of Information Act. According to Stinnett, the answers to the mysteries of Pearl Harbor can be found in the extraordinary number of documents he was able to attain through Freedom of Information Act requests. Cable after cable of decryptions, scores of military messages that America was intercepting, clearly showed that Japanese ships were preparing for war and heading straight for Hawaii. Stinnett, an author, journalist, and World War II veteran, spent sixteen years delving into the National Archives. He pored over more than 200,000 documents, and conducted dozens of interviews. This meticulous research led Stinnett to a firmly held conclusion: FDR knew.”

According to Day Of Deceit ~ “In October 1940 FDR adopted a specific strategy to incite Japan to commit an overt act of war. Part of the strategy was to move America’s Pacific fleet out of California and anchor it in Pearl Harbor. Admiral James Richardson, the commander of the Pacific fleet, strongly opposed keeping the ships in harm’s way in Hawaii. He expressed this to Roosevelt, and so the President relieved him of his command. Later Richardson quoted Roosevelt as saying: “Sooner or later the Japanese will commit an overt act against the United States and the nation will be willing to enter the war… To those who believe that government conspiracies can’t possibly happen, Day Of Deceit could prove to them otherwise. Stinnett’s well-documented book makes a convincing case that the highest officials of the government ~ including the highest official( the President) ~ fooled and deceived millions of Americans about one of the most important days in the history of the country.” Must See full interview ~ http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=408

To those who believe that government conspiracies can’t possibly happen, Day Of Deceit should prove to them otherwise ~ and remember, approximately 3000 Americans died at Pearl Harbor in what was essentially a bait and cover operation (we knew the attack was coming) which was set up and condoned by our highest officials (including the President) in order to justify a war with Japan and eventually our entry into World War 2.

Human Cost: 405,000 American deaths and well over a million civilian deaths ~ including Hiroshima and Nagasaki .

Now fast forward 20 years to December 11, 1961 and remember the approximately 500,000 Vietnamese civilian deaths who died in Vietnam ~ and what was essentially a false flag operation ( Bay of Tonkin) which was set up and condoned by our highest officials (including the president) in order to justify an illegal war and occupation.

Human Cost: 58,000 American deaths and 1.3 million civilian casualties.

Now fast forward another 40 years to September 11, 2001 and remember the approximately 3000 Americans who died in what was essentially a false flag operation which was set up and condoned by our highest officials (including the President and Vice President) in order to justify a war and occupation of both Afghanistan and Iraq as well as an economically debilitating War on Terror.

Human cost: 7000 American deaths and at least a million civilians slaughtered.

.

Now fast forward another 10 years to December 7, 2011 and hear the war drums beating again as we covertly adopt a specific strategy (in conjunction with Mossad) to incite Iran to commit an overt act of war ~ and thus justify a military attack and perhaps World War 3.

Human cost: Immeasurable

Now think of the Veterans of Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan who sacrificed their lives for these unjust wars and occupations and you begin to understand the moral dimensions of our combat veterans, both in the field and when they return home, and how the hardest person for them to forgive is quite often themselves ~ which accounts for their rising suicide rate as well as America’s greatest shame.

Our morally wounded veterans and rising suicide rate is the canary in the mineshaft warning America of the true human moral and economic cost for our continuing imperialistic agenda and unjust wars ~ and all for the benefit of an out of control military Industrial complex and the global financial elite.

“We are stumbling blindly through a spiritual darkness while toying with the precarious secrets of life and death.... The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than living." General Omar Bradley

Allen L Roland

http://allenlrolandsweblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/us-fallout-from-unjust-wars-increased.html

Freelance Alternative Press Online columnist and psychotherapist Allen L Roland is available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and private consultations ( allen@allenroland.com )

Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net

BAND OF BROTHERS #5 / THE MIRACLE OF SELF HEALING

Five Vietnam and one Iraq veteran with PTSD faced their deepest fears and inspired each other to open their hearts, conquer their fears and find themselves in the process: Allen L Roland

The first meeting of the Healing The Wounded Heart Veterans Workshop #5 was held on January 21, 2011 at 11 AM in Alamo, California at the private residence of one of the participants ~ because the VA will still not officially sanction a heart centered approach to working with veterans with PTSD. As such, various veterans’ organizations, foundations and American Legion posts are funding this incredibly important work.

They had never met me but they had been told about me, by their adjustment counselor Sal, and were prepared for an eight week commitment to face their fears and open their hearts in the process. They knew I was a licensed psychotherapist but also a former active duty Naval aviator ~ and that made a big difference in trusting me as their coach for this journey to open their closed hearts and finally come home from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

All of them had many symptoms of PTSD and even TBI but all had the common symptom of a closed heart and the inability to love and receive love ~ quite often because of deep unworthiness issues that originally started in childhood and were reinforced through their military experience. Some of their other symptoms were Trouble falling or staying asleep, nightmares and disturbing dreams, avoidance, emotionally numb, feeling irritable or angry outbursts, intrusive thoughts and memories, being super alert watchful or on guard, fear of intimacy and almost constant emotional pain even to the point of suicide.

A typical Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan Veteran with PTSD had an innocent childhood and somewhat troubled adolescence before they were either drafted or joined the military ~ quite often as their only choice. In the service they either saw or participated in events that reinforced their unworthiness issues and hardened their hearts to the extent that they lost their innocence. When they return home they have difficulty in maintaining loving relationships because of these unworthiness issues and retreat into themselves ~ quite often escaping their aloneness through alcohol, drugs or anti-social behavior. A heart centered approach connects them to their core innocence by opening their hearts and reconnecting to loved ones and thus enabling them to deal with their issues from a place of acceptance and gratitude ~ which obviously starts with themselves. Once they know that love and joy is deepest within them ~ they can better deal with their emotional as well as physical wounds including PTSD because they now want to heal. Band of Brothers #5 generally was no different in that they all wanted to finally come home from Vietnam and Iraq.

I told them that this was an action based workshop and if they did their homework they would reach a place of not only another choice but would open their closed hearts in the process. They would also begin to see through different eyes ~ eyes unclouded by fear, resentment and unworthiness. I also explained through my Cycle Of Life chart how psychic pain will override Joy to the extent that most people have no idea that beneath their deepest pain and aloneness is love, joy and connectedness ~ the Unified Field.

After each session ~ part of their homework was to read each session in my book RADICAL THERAPY / SURRENDER TO LOVE AND HEAL YOURSELF IN SEVEN SESSIONS ( NOT SEVEN YEARS ) which reinforced the previous session with additional exercises and a pertinent story. In essence, I build a safe haven for them to become completely vulnerable and explore and connect with their deepest feelings. My role is that of their coach, versus therapist, who is guiding them to the real coach ~ themselves!

Of course, in that first session I shared my own heart's journey or quest to find a lost and alone little boy within myself who not only wanted to fly, and became a Navy Fighter pilot, but also to love as deeply as I loved my beloved grandfather before I was torn away from him at six years old ~ emotionally shutting down my deepest feelings and became something other than myself in order to survive. We briefly talked about the war and all of them started to briefly share their heart's journey and by the end of two hours ~ they began to feel a sense of commonality and purpose. Their homework was to produce a life chart of the path of their individual heart's journey ~ which they would share with the group over the next two sessions. The purpose of the life chart is to see their life as a quest versus a struggle to find their authentic loving self ~ and begin to see their war experience as part of that journey.

The Life chart is a wonderful vehicle to self acceptance and compassion for themselves ~ for in the process of sharing their life chart with the group and others they are taking a major step of letting people into their self imposed cocoon of aloneness and realizing, perhaps for the first time, that they are capable of being loved and understood. They also inspire each other to take greater risks in revealing themselves which is precisely what happened in Band of brothers #5.

Chuck wrote in his post workshop evaluation that it was the most enjoyable aspect of the sessions ~ “ Life chart was number #1 ~ the group sharing their life experiences and coach Allen doing a great job of keeping us ‘ on-the-field’ and ‘off-the-sidelines’. His book RADICAL THERAPY is an integral part of the solution and was an important tool for all of us. I am grateful for receiving all the insights and benefits and life experiences of all the participants of this workshop.”

Chuck was the first to share his life chart with the group and then they all began to share a childhood picture of themselves as well as share their life charts with the group describing their individual journeys to find love and acceptance as well as themselves. We briefly discussed their war experience but they quickly realized their deeper commonality ~ in that their lives had all been a quest to find meaning and that all of their love relationships had significant meaning regardless of how they turned out. I also helped each one of them find that checkout point in their childhood where they closed their hearts and decided to withhold love from those closest to them.

After sharing their individual life charts, they did the Victim /Accountability exercise in session three ~ where they all had the chance to feel the lightness and joy of being accountable versus the heaviness and sadness of being a victim. Their homework was to take the people they had resentment towards off the hook and to realize that many of them they had deeply loved and were really gifts in their lives.

It was during this exercise that Abraham became the poster boy for Band of Brothers #5 by completely surrendering to his deep seeded anger, rage and body shaking hatred towards his past girlfriend, who left him while he was in Iraq, and then, with my coaching, took total accountability for his deep pain, realizing she could not have been any different than the way she was and that she was gift in his life ~ and immediately burst through his dark tunnel of resentment and anger and then exploded into almost uncontrollable laughter and began weeping in joy. That was it ~ he had emerged from his self imposed cocoon of fear and soon shared with us how everything looked different and that he couldn’t stop smiling which remained the case for the remainder of the sessions. Abraham wrote in his evaluation that this was the major fear he overcame in this workshop ~ “ My being in a cocoon of fear, anger and resentment and finally bursting out of it ~ I’m a different person now, I smile a lot more and everybody has noticed the change.”

Abraham’s obvious joy inspired the whole group to take this all important step in finding their authentic and joyful self. Most of them had resentment issues with parents or ex-loves or wives and their homework was to take them all off the hook and see them instead as gifts on the path of their heart. Once that happened they were ready to finally meet the emotionally lost child within themselves ~ which is precisely what happened in session four.

The fourth session they met the child within by means of a powerful guided image visualization. Every one of them saw that long lost innocent child who told them what they needed to do to fully embrace him in their lives now. Their faces literally changed and became younger as they made that inner connection ~ they were dormant flowers suddenly blooming. I was moved almost to tears to see these Veterans suddenly claim their joy and innocence after years of self doubt and despair.

Here’s some of the comments they heard from that child with the question being ~ What do I need to do to fully embrace you in my life?

Surrender to yourself

Love me

Believe in me

Accept yourself

Is there joy beneath my pain?

Yes! ( that was the answer for all of them )

What’s my next step?

Surrender, go with the flow

Let go, surrender

Surrender, let’s visit

Get out of your cocoon

Open your heart

What’s the most important advice you can give me?

Be yourself

Let down your guard

Be me

Surrender

Own your joy

Stay with me

Meeting the child within was a game changing event for all of them especially Adrian who wrote in his post workshop evaluation ~ “The most meaningful aspect of the workshop was meeting the inner child and surrendering to love ~ which were two things that I thought might be an illusion ~ silly me! “

Gary also thought it was the most meaningful ~ “ Discovering that each of us possesses a rare and genuine inner self and that negative and anti-social behavior ( that once troubled and frustrated myself ) is actually the end result of a lifetime of ego protection in reaction to the outside influences of others ~ my fear of opening up to strangers is now gone “

The Fifth session, one week later, was all about gratefulness and thanking the people who have been there for them their whole life ~ with the help of a guided visualization. Many of them had virtually not thanked anyone and certainly not themselves. That was their homework. As they did that their hearts began to fully open because gratefulness is the lifeblood of soul consciousness and is the only antidote for unworthiness.

This exercise really touched Roger who leaped on the homework to fully open his heart and emerge from his cocoon of fear and is still thanking people who have touched him in his life ~ “I learned that my fear has held me in a holding pattern most of my life but I’ve now learned to listen to myself inside ~ that little guy with the happy face.”

By now the Band of Brothers were inspiring each other on their common journey through fear ~ they were beyond the point of no return. Their homework was to thank at least 25 people who had touched them before the next session. We still hadn't dwelled on the war for there was no need to. Their war experience was now a stepping stone versus an obstacle on their path to self healing. They were already healing themselves by taking responsibility for love and sharing their gratefulness with others. Their hearts had opened and they were seeing through different eyes ~ which Abraham and Chuck merrily confirmed each remaining session.

Soon they were at session eight and celebrating the completion of a successful mission to open their hearts and find themselves in the process. The ultimate fire fight as Adrian confirmed is the battle with fear on the inner journey to open the heart and the last step is always the same ~ surrender and let go to the joyful magnificence of yourself and all of them had succeeded.

Doug, the gentle giant, closed our last celebration session ~ with many of the past Band of Brothers attending, but his comments on his post workshop evaluation probably summed up the feelings of band of brothers #5 ~ regarding Did the workshop meet your expectations ?

Doug answered ~ “ Yes, it more than met my expectations ~ it changed my expectations. “

What personal changes have you overcome from this workshop?

Doug answered ~ “My compassion for others is overcoming my fear and mistrust. I have opened my heart and gained an appreciation for myself at the same time ~ I have progressed further in this eight week workshop than I have in 25 years of on and off again private therapy.”

Doug has finally come home from Vietnam and the miracle of heart centered self healing became obvious again for there can be no true healing without the heart ~ which is precisely what happened with Band of Brothers #5. The gift I gave them was myself ~ not being afraid of their pain or anger and totally owning the joy of who I am and what I know and caring enough to not let them settle for less than all of themselves.

Roger thought it was what he enjoyed most about the workshop ~ “ The gift was you, Allen ~ you are so full of life, love and truth. It helped push me to surrender and break down the walls inside of me and find the joyful little boy. “

The beat goes on, the Band of Brothers continues to grow ~ and I, in turn, continue to be deeply moved by the most spiritually satisfying work of my life. I’m also grateful to Sal Udea, LSW with the Concord Vets Center for not only recommending this workshop but preparing these wounded warriors for this life changing heart centered work. And also Almon Bundy, Band of brothers #1, for coordinating post workshop support groups as well as workshop funding.

I can’t wait for Band of Brothers #6

Allen L Roland

http://allenlrolandsweblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/band-of-brothers-5-miracle-of-self.html

About the Author: Allen L Roland is a Freelance Alternative Press Online columnist and psychotherapist. Allen L Roland is also available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and private consultations. Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website www.allenroland.com . He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net

BAND OF BROTHERS # 3

Eight more Vietnam and Iraq veterans, all with PTSD, faced their fears and not only opened their hearts but found and began to heal themselves in only eight weeks : Allen L Roland

The first meeting of the Healing The Wounded Heart Veterans Workshop #3 was held on October 14, 2010 at 11 AM in Yountville, California

They had never met me but they had been told about me, by their adjustment counselor Sal, and were prepared for an eight week commitment to face their fears and open their hearts in the process. They knew I was a former active duty Naval aviator and that made a big difference.

All of them had some symptoms of PTSD and even TBI but all had the common symptom of a closed heart and the inability to love and receive love ~ mainly because of deep unworthiness issues that originally started in childhood and were reinforced through their military experience.

The group included two African Americans as well as a three tour female Iraq veteran ~ who used the acceptance and love of this group to find her voice and re-claim her intention and power.

I told them that this was an action based workshop and if they did their homework they would reach a place of not only another choice but would open their closed hearts in the process. They would also begin to see through different eyes ~ eyes unclouded by fear, resentment and unworthiness. I also explained through my Cycle Of Life chart how psychic pain will override Joy to the extent that most people have no idea that beneath their deepest pain and aloneness is love, joy and connectedness ~ the Unified Field.

After each session ~ part of their homework was to read each session in my book RADICAL THERAPY / SURRENDER TO LOVE AND HEAL YOURSELF IN SEVEN SESSIONS ( NOT SEVEN YEARS ) which reinforced the previous group session.

Of course, that first session I shared my own heart's journey to find a lost and alone little boy within myself who not only wanted to fly, and became a Navy Fighter pilot, but also to love as deeply as I loved my beloved grandfather before I was torn away from him at six years old. We briefly talked about the war and all of them briefly shared their heart's journey and by the end of two hours ~ they began to feel a sense of commonality. Their homework was to produce a life chart of the path of their individual heart's journey ~ which they would share with the group over the next two sessions.

James felt that initially sharing my life chart with the group was very empowering ~ “ Openly sharing of yourself is commendable and becoming one of us was relaxing and rewarding.”

The second session, a week later, they all began to share a childhood picture of themselves as well as share their life charts with the group describing their individual journeys to find love and acceptance as well as themselves. We briefly discussed their war experience but they quickly realized their deeper commonality ~ in that their lives had all been a quest to find meaning and that all of their love relationships had significant meaning regardless of how they turned out. They were already a band of brothers on a common inner journey of the heart.

Percy felt that this was the most enjoyable aspect of the workshop ~ “ I really enjoyed my band of brothers and sister ~ We got to know and really understand each other.”

Felipe felt that sharing his life chart was the most meaningful aspect of the workshop ~ “ It gave me the chance to look at my life as a whole journey “

After sharing their individual life charts two weeks later, they did the Victim /Accountability exercise and had the chance to feel the lightness of being accountable versus the heaviness of being a victim. Their homework was to take the people they had resentment towards off the hook and realize that many of them they had deeply loved and were really gifts in their lives.

Larry felt it was the most meaningful aspect of the workshop ~ "Confronting my worst fears and memories are in no way enjoyable but confronting them and putting them behind me has left room for joy to start entering my life”

They were now a band of brothers on a common journey to find themselves.

The fourth session they met the child within by means of a powerful guided visualization. Every one of them saw that long lost innocent child who told them what they needed to do to fully embrace him/her in their lives now. Their faces literally changed and became younger as they made that inner connection ~ it was like long dormant flowers suddenly blooming. I was moved almost to tears to see these Veterans suddenly claim their joy and innocence after years of self doubt and despair.

For Dave it was the most meaningful aspect of the workshop ~ “ Meeting the child and realizing it’s my turn and time now “

The inner message to each of them was emphatic and real ~ “ Let me in, Fully live your life, be courageous, Play with me, Stop worrying about things, Stop hurting so much, Listen to yourself and Love yourself ”

Their homework was to give that child a voice and hang out with him or her.

The Fifth session, one week later, was all about gratefulness and thanking the people who have been there for them their whole life ~ with the help of a guided visualization. Many of them had virtually not thanked anyone and certainly not themselves.

It was in this session that Felipe actually experienced the presence of his late beloved mother and father who told him that they were still there for him and loved him deeply ~ “ I fell back in love with my family and they love me again “

By now the Band of Brothers were inspiring each other on their common journey through fear ~ they were beyond the point of no return. Their homework was to thank at least 25 people who had touched them before the next session. We still hadn't dwelled on the war for there was no need to. They were already healing themselves by taking responsibility for love and sharing gratitude with others.

The sixth session, one week later, was the Death Exercise where the group, through a visualization, were guided in a profound death exercise which helped them to experience the degree to which the people closest to them really knew them. The exercise actually simulates your death and the resultant shock of knowing that you did not truly share yourself with the people closest to you or that very few people really knew you. Obviously, it is a strong inner stimulus to open your heart with the people closest to you ~ and that was their homework to accomplish with the five people closest to them before the next session.

Most of them enjoyed the element of the unknown that they were continually coming face to face with in these sessions, especially Percy who felt the workshop greatly improved the quality of his life ~ “My life has changed for the better, I really look at life, my life in a new way. I feel that the pain will stop as long as I continue to believe in myself. I will never say no to myself again.”

The seventh session, one week later, reinforced that we are continually being called from within to the path of the heart, but few listen and fewer still respond. It is in this session that they understand that they have all been called to the inner journey of the soul (through Love) versus the outer journey of the ego ( through Fear ). This session ended with a visualization exercise in which they realize that the most precious gift they have always wanted is themselves ~ free from being controlled by fear.

For Larry, this was the most meaningful aspect of the workshop ~ “ I lost the fear of facing my worst fears and dealing with them ~ and not letting them stand in the way of my happiness. “ To Percy, it was the same ~ “ I overcame the thought of failing and that I was not good enough. That is not true, I am good enough! “ For Ted, he felt encouraged ~ “ My vision is clearer “. James comments echoed the groups general feeling ~ “ I am able to communicate my deepest feelings more openly .“

The Homework as well as ongoing homework was to share the gift of themselves with others but in the spirit of celebration ~ not deprivation.

It was in that same spirit of celebration that we had our Eighth and final session where everyone acknowledged each others common journey through fear to the joy, love and light beneath. The resultant change in their demeanor was breathtaking. As Sal said, “ The most meaningful aspect of the workshop was the powerful session eight of integration and celebration where each participant received honest and heartfelt feedback from each other ~ I am overjoyed by witnessing the transformation of each participant”

Session #8 was especially moving for myself ~ for all of them, especially Jamie, were not only seeing and speaking through their hearts but were seeing the beauty in each one of their band of brothers.

I was also humbled by this experience and validation of my empowering work as well as the receptivity of these veterans who obviously longed to be seen from the heart and not through eyes of fear. I literally saw a light go on within each one of them when they took responsibility for love instead of running away from it.

They all had been trained many years ago to kill and I, in essence, jump started their hearts by re-training them to love and they began to heal themselves in the process by realizing that they indeed had another choice. There is no change without action and action always involves risk. The greatest risk is the full and honest expression of your deepest feelings and all of them had taken an important self healing step on that inner journey.

And we never concentrated on the war for the real war had been waged within themselves ~ and they were now victorious.

Band of Brothers #4 will start on January 13, 2011 and all the participants of #1, #2 and #3 will be there to briefly share their experience and offer support to their new brothers and sisters.

The beat goes on, the Band of Brothers continues to grow ~ and I, in turn, continue to be deeply moved by the most spiritually satisfying work of my life.

Allen L Roland

http://allenlrolandsweblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/band-of-brothers-3.html

Freelance Alternative Press Online columnist and psychotherapist Allen L Roland is also available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and private consultations ( allen@allenroland.com )

allen@allenroland.com is PayPal Verified

Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net