What It Looks Like to Be a True Warrior

Why being a warrior is not what you think.

I don’t recognize the reflection in the mirror.

The person looking back at me has blood-stained clothes, scars on her arms, mud in her hair and paint on her face.

That person staring unflinchingly at me in the mirror is a warrior.

I don’t always see her. In fact, most of the time, she’s hidden behind a veil of secrecy and a mask of perfection. It’s an expertly painted facade that I’ve constructed to conceal the identity of the person underneath.

Because, you see, the real person underneath isn’t so perfect. She’s not so pretty. Her tired, tear-stained face bears the wounds of someone who is suffering.

She’s worn. Vulnerable. Weak. A tattered rag doll that you’d happily cast aside for a newer, shinier toy. But, despite all of her flaws and cracks, she’s real. Completely raw, but truly authentic.

The irony is that all along I believed my painted mask and professional costume resembled the real warrior. The smart, successful businesswoman with chic clothes, cool clients and all the right answers.

I constructed the person I thought everyone wanted to see.

There are definitely elements of who I really am in that image. But, this costume hides the imperfect, broken person underneath who wants to be loved for who she really is, not what she does.

So, I’m shattering the shell. I’ve started chipping away at that venier with a tiny pick axe to reveal the broken, bloody warrior within me who has suffered greatly, but continues to get back up and keep moving forward.

After all, perfection makes for a boring story. And no one can keep that lie up. Not even me. And believe me, I’ve tried.

I’ve tried to hide my defeats. To pretend that I’ve always stood victorious at the top of the mountain.

But, real warriors aren’t handed success. They win by getting back up after they’ve been bludgeoned. They pursue the prize despite being pushed back and they keep going when the road is long and arduous.

There’s a reason we unite around battle stories. It’s a universal theme that every human understands because each and every one of us has our own dragon to slay or demon to silence. We want to know how to be courageous enough to step onto the battlefield and face what scares us the most.

It might be the reflection in the mirror. It might be the voices in our heads. It might be the hand we’ve been dealt or the circumstances we face.

But, whatever it is, we must suit up in our armor and show up. To fight. To give it our best. To dare greatly. To press forward in the face of difficulty.

We might not always win. In fact, sometimes, just showing up is a victory. And that is enough. Because when we show up on the battlefield, we stop running from our weakness, fear and anxiety and reveal the true warrior inside.

If this resonated with you, click the heart below to recommend this story to others. And, if you want to see what comes next follow me as I begin to share more of my story. Thank you for reading!