Have your pencil and paper at the ready for this episode. I sit down with an inspiring, thriving, resilient retired first sergeant air borne ranger with plenty to share and teach. Hector shares his transformation from air borne ranger to veteran, veteran to community leader, Post Traumatic Stress to Post Traumatic Growth, EMDR client to EMDR therapist,& addresses a number of important topics regarding: the trauma mind, the compensation& pension system at the VA, the Us vs Them crutch, a nation under trauma, moral injury, Father Michael Lapsley, and the community (not veterans) who came to his aid. "Suffering continues to exist when we avoid. It's interesting, because as a warrior culture, we don't avoid a fight. We don't avoid conflict. We're fearless because it helps others and so I'm willing to put myself out there. And then when we are in suffering, we begin to think that we are the sacrifice and this is how I represent myself as a sacrifice. But I'm going to ask people to get off the cross because we need the wood. It's already done. Enter the crucible. As warriors, we're not afraid of the fight, so enter the crucible. Get the gloves back on, enter the ring. You're going to take some lumps, but then start dishing the lumps out. And the enemy is avoidance." Hector Matascastillo