Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD is a painful, debilitating, and far too often tragic experience that affects many veterans and civilians. Within the tragedy of PTSD, there are beacons of hope, healing, and empowerment that serve to use their experience as a platform for good.

In this episode, Adam Hill speaks with Eric Beach, a coach and mentor, a filmmaker, a speaker, and co-founder of Project Echelon, a charitable foundation that helps educate, equip, and empower veterans through physical activity and sport. Eric also hosts the YouTube channel, The Journey Well, a place of ease, surrender, and growth through tarot.

Today, Eric generously shares his stories and experiences through childhood, his military service, coping with self-destructive behaviors, and how he continues to rise above and flow over fear.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

What it was like growing up

The moment that he gave himself permission to be himself

How hate fades through interaction

Why language matters

Why he’s grateful for the dark moments of his life

The art of tarot reading

Episode Highlights:

[23:13] How Hate Fades Through the Power of Interaction

You don't really hate things. You just strongly dislike things. You may have a feeling of strong dislike that's rooted in fear. Hate is an element of fear and it's an element of lack of understanding. And so, connection and interaction can be powerful.

While Eric was in the military, one of the children in the war zone gave him her favorite plastic toy. And in that moment, he realized that the best thing he did in the war wasn't the gunfights or the disposal of ammunition – but it was that he made a difference in a child's life. Eric showed her that the enemy wasn't scary and this entirely shifted his perspective.

The next time you feel angry or have a strong dislike toward someone or a belief system, learn to sit with that feeling. Because oftentimes, it’s just a difference in the ideology, the verbiage, or the cause you’re fighting for.  But ultimately, we’re all good people, but we just don't understand each other's motives.

[37:44] Why Language Matters

Trauma is not just being molested, or it's not just being beaten. Trauma is anytime your world is causing you great upheaval. If it disturbs you, that's trauma.

When Eric was interviewed to be deployed after his group got disbanded, he was asked if he could kill someone. Since he answered no, he was medically discharged. His record says “no longer useful for military service.” No longer useful – because that’s what he read, he lived it once he was out of the military.

[57:09] The Art of Tarot Reading

Every card has all of these meanings, but you let your spirit tell you. What is it that's trying to communicate? How does this resonate? What does this make you think? And then think about it. It's just an easy way to get in touch with your inner monologue.