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Surprising Life Lessons I Learned from Army Reserve Officer Training
A love of nature and respect for silence were two of them.
A long time ago, I did infantry training in the Australian Army Reserve. I got to fire a semi-automatic rifle, let rip with a machine gun, throw a grenade, and blast a stationary tank with orange paint from a shoulder-holstered missile launcher.
That was a highlight. But some of the things I learned, like bushcraft, were slow burners. They have stuck with me and influenced my lifestyle choices; therefore, I want to share them in this short story.
Without going into the intricate details, I want to summarize potent things I remember under six headings, hoping they might give you some perspectives and insights from my experience.
1 — Sharpen your senses.
When we were patrolling through the bush, we were told to sharpen our senses. If it was dark, we closed our eyes for ten seconds. Then we opened them, and there was light.
Sounds religious. But it is natural, and it works.
You see the dark; then you see the light. That’s the first thing. Close your eyes. Meditative practices also advise this approach. One study showed improved emotional stability in experienced…
