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4.6.6
You shall be encouraged, or else.
We often treat every activity as if it is something to be bested, an achievement to be unlocked. If singing brings you joy, sing for the joy of it, not because it is a skill you must master, must exploit. We should do more things for the glory of it, not the profit of it.
Difficult times lead to difficult choices, but take heart! No matter how hard things are, you have made the most important choice already: to live with integrity and honor, to be a true warrior. Let that choice guide the choices that follow, and watch as difficult times retreat from your glory.
// In about 40 minutes (8:30 EST), there'll be a special event on the stream, with original music and a special guest star. Tune in early so you don't miss it! https://www.youtube.com/live/7KpS54llYUA
Kahless tells us that where your journey takes you is less important than who you are when you get there. Be true, warrior, and be glorious no matter your destination.
// In 14 minutes, Matthew McConaughey* begins his epic journey to recite a million digits of Pi. Don't miss the opening!
* Impersonator. No AI.
It is not possible to always be your best self. Life is complicated, and every day is full of challenges and compromises. But never forget that your best self is present, and strive to live up to it through it all.
Beware those who are good at both sucking up and punching down. Their loyalty is an illusion, but their cruelty is not. A true warrior licks no boots, nor uses theirs to step on others to get ahead.
To say we must face our fears is an empty cliche. Instead, we should study our fears, learn about them and from them. Then we do not just face our fears, we diminish them, until some are no longer fears at all.
Should you refuse to show compassion because you believe it would make you appear weak, then you have misunderstood what strength is. It is honorable to have concern for others, to show empathy and to offer aid to someone in distress. To rebuke this is cowardice, not strength.
We are adaptable, as individuals and as people. But that does not mean we must adapt to oppression, to inequality, to bigotry. Though we may be tempted to go along to get along, sometimes we must choose, as individuals, as people, to fight.
To derive pleasure from hatred is to revel in dishonor. A true warrior knows that hate is a source of misery, not of glee. Resist those who take delight in harming others, know hate when you see it, and may you forever feel the righteous joy of standing against it.
Your enemies are counting on you to lose hope. Despair is one of their greatest weapons, for it leads you to stop fighting for yourself. Hold on to hope, no matter how hard it is, and refuse to join your enemy in bringing you down.
The future is unknown, uncertain, perhaps frightening. But no matter what darkness may lurk before us, there will be glories along the way. Acts of bravery, acts of kindness, honorable deeds that will be remembered in better times. We will rise together, one day, to sing songs of glorious victory.
Speak out, even if the time has passed where it will make a difference for you. The act of standing up may be the difference for someone who comes after you.
// Deep Space 9 theme, but it's coming from DS9 itself. Yes, there's no sound in space. Unless... https://youtu.be/IfQ61ECiB5I?si=-XrHMJj1git971HJ
Do not allow words directed against you to become your burden. You have enough weight on your shoulders already -- don't let those who wish you ill encumber you with more.
It is no comfort to tell someone who is struggling that others have it worse. At best, you add guilt to their worries. At worst, you invoke wider despair. A true warrior knows not to borrow trouble, and to help your comrades, not add to their burdens.
Kahless tells us to give it all to keep from giving in or giving up. Stand tall, and let cynicism and despair crumble in the face of a true warrior's resolve.
A bully believes that kindness is weakness. A fool believes that bullying is strength. A true warrior knows that a bully is weak, and that compassion and kindness are strengths they could never comprehend.
As you strive for an honorable life, know that you will make mistakes, that you will stumble. So will everyone seeking to do the right thing. Honor is a path through the complex landscape of life, not a fence to keep out trespassers.
Everyone may be entitled to their own opinion, but nobody is entitled to force theirs on you. While it is honorable to have an open mind, do not hesitate to close it in the face of hatred, of bigotry, of dishonor.
To those who have experienced a bad week, know this: You have comrades and allies here, and I am proud to call myself one of them. One day we will raise our glasses together and sing of the troubles we have overcome, and the glory we have found together.
