In the military, during long marches my seniors would yell at me, “DON'T GO INTERNAL!” It was a warning. Marching mile after mile, with a heavy backpack, Rifle, and Body armor was exhausting. The hardest part wasn’t just the physical strain—it was the constant mental battle. When someone went internal, it meant they’d shut down, like a shell, going silent and numb, staring down at the ground and just moving through the motions without heart or presence. You’d see it happen. They’d lose that spark, operating on autopilot, disconnected from everything and everyone around them.
"Going internal" wasn’t just about surviving a hard march; it was a state of mind that could creep into every part of life. We all face this risk—sometimes, without realizing it, we slip into our routines with no feeling, no drive, just moving through life on autopilot. We stop being fully present, letting responsibilities, relationships, even dreams, drift by while we’re emotionally absent, heads down, barely aware.
In the military, when you caught someone going internal, you’d call them out. You’d pull them back with a nudge or a joke, because staying connected, staying present, was essential to getting through. In life, it’s easy to slip into that same hollow place—to become a shell of who we once were, just going through the motions, but missing out on the moments that make life real.
But we have a choice. A choice to stay engaged, to push against that emptiness, and live fully, even when it’s hard. Don’t let life pass by while you’re on autopilot. Dig in, feel the weight, and push forward—stay connected, stay present, stay alive and DON'T GO INTERNAL
