machine gun preacher

"If we allow ourselves to be full of hate, then they've won. We must not let them take our hearts."

- Machine Gun Preacher

Watched the movie today, and this was something the little boy said that stuck with me till the end. I think the reason the statement really struck me so hard is because I realize that the same goes for every battle in our lives regardless of the circumstances. If we allow ourselves to hate, to dwell, and to be consumed by negative actions and emotions, then the battle is lost - the heart of the fight is gone.

I vividly remember the point in my life where I fought for something that was so precious to me at that time. It was a burning passion, a raging fire, and all consuming. Slowly, that passion turned into bitterness and the fire into anger, until I realized I was staring in the face of hate - the hate that built up for so long, in the name of love. Only by letting go of that resentment did I find myself coming to terms with the situation and eventually, being at peace with myself.

So yes, if there's anything I learnt, it's this: Go on, fight for that precious thing in your life, something you strongly believe in, or your hope and dreams; be passionate, be fearless, be angry even. But once you cross that fine line between passion and hate - consciously or not, the battle is lost. The war is over. It's time to pick up the pieces and start over.