Lt. Col. Abbillyn Johnson is veteran of the US Armed Services with PTSD. Last year she joined an organization called the Warrior Surf Foundation and through it she discovered Stoicism. In this article, she describes how Stoicism helped her. 

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None of us veterans set out to become Stoics but we happened upon Stoic principles explained in Unshakable Freedom and it's changed us all. 

How I stumbled on to Stoicism 

I am a veteran of the United States Armed Forces diagnosed with PTSD. About a year ago, I joined an organization in South Carolina called the Warrior Surf Foundation. As part of the program, we do a lot of one-on-one sessions with the mentors and counselors outside of the water. Our founder, Andy Menzi, has been a mentor of mine and we’ve often talked about happiness—What is it? How do we get it? He introduced me to the book Unshakable Freedom: Ancient Stoic Secrets Applied to Modern Life by Chuck Chakrapani which recognizes that “the road to freedom is also the road to happiness.”. Since then, I’ve used the book and its principles in my journey to healing and quest to find true happiness. Andy’s favorite quote in the book is by Marcus Aurelius: “All the happiness you are seeking by such long, roundabout ways, you can have it all right now…if you leave the past behind you.” This makes happiness seem so simple, yet it’s still an everyday challenge. 

Stoics give no thought to what they cannot control 

When I sat down alone with the book for the first time, I had the thought that Stoics were a gloomy lot of people without feelings. I soon realized this to be far from the truth. Rather, Stoics give no thought to problems out of their control which eliminates unnecessary anguish. I found that by applying Stoic principles discussed in Unshakable Freedom that I was more positive, upbeat, and able to better enjoy life. 

The book broke down modern day Stoicism into six “big ideas.” Of those, three stood out to me. Big Idea #2: Leave your past behind, Big Idea #4: Where there is fear, freedom is not, and Big Idea #6: Life is a festival, enjoy it now. 

Big Idea #2: Leave your past behind. 

When I first read the words “leave your past behind” I was offended. I immediately felt like forgetting my past would be a dishonor to those left behind. But what I came to realize through my reading was that I didn’t have to literally forget my past. I only had to realize that the past was not under my control. For the sake of personal freedom, I would have to let those things go. 

Once I really grasped the concept, I actually felt a seismic shift in my thinking. Perhaps leaving my past behind was the BEST way to honor those left behind. 

Big Idea #4: Where there is fear, freedom is not. 

“…the Stoic knows that, to the extent you are fearful, you cannot be free.” Many returning veterans suffering from PTSD come home with irrational fears and embarrassing behaviors. We are afraid that an event might happen at home that actually happened overseas. We’re easily startled, can’t handle large crowds, and overreact to loud noises. We have panic attacks, nightmares, and flashbacks. We shake, sweat, and cry. While bad things happen at home, it’s unlikely that we’ll experience battlefield-type events at the grocery store or driving our children to school. These behaviors can make living a normal life very difficult. Just the idea, the fear, of those things occurring can keep us home bound and disassociated. When we live in this state, we clearly have no mental freedom. 

Through Unshakable Freedom, I learned that “we develop fearlessness when we become completely aware that certain things are not under our control and, since we can achieve freedom with what we can control, we are not afraid of anything that is not under our control.” It sounds extreme, but, I can’t control a radical terrorist trying to place a roadside bomb along the route to my children’s school. Not to mention, it’s a highly unlikely to occur. Therefore, I should not be giving this thought a voice and I should not be afraid. 

Big Idea #6: Life is a festival. Enjoy it now. 

Perhaps this is the biggest idea of them all for a veteran looking for personal freedom and happiness. We’re often still “living” on the battlefield in our heads day-to-day; living in the past, living in fear, and missing out on being present for the festival before us. While personal freedom remains a daily challenge, I feel more equipped to face it head on. Using the Stoic principles presented in Unshakable Freedom and through the exercises presented, I, along with many fellow veterans, have found comfort, healing, and newly defined happiness. “Maybe happiness is this: not feeling you should be elsewhere, doing something else, being someone else.” –Isaac Asimov 

Stoic principles changed us all 

None of us veterans set out to become Stoics but we happened upon Stoic principles explained in Unshakable Freedom and it's changed us all. 

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