Kael Gunn

Kahless tells us time is the one enemy no warrior can defeat. In the end, it is how you spent your that time matters most. Spend it being honorable, strong, and kind. Do this and time will not be your enemy, but your gift to those who will be glad to have known you.

In dark times it is easy to become overwhelmed, to feel helpless. That is what your enemies want. Defy them. Deny them this, and let that be your first step toward denying them victory, and then seizing it yourself.

A lone voice speaking truth may be drowned by a cacophonous enemy. But when true warriors stand together, add their voices to a chorus, the words gain the power to sweep away any perfidious clamor. Today of all days, add your voice, warriors, and sing for what's right.

When we live through difficult times it can be easy to succumb to despair, to see nothing but darkness on the horizon. But one day, in happier times, songs will be sung of those who persevered. Strive to be sung about as one who brought hope, as one who carried light over that horizon.

You are worthy of respect, of friendship, of love. Sometimes you may need to work harder to bring it forth, but never doubt that it is within you.

Kahless tells us that even if you are confident that you can do anything, know that you can't do everything. Choose your battles wisely, concentrate on what matters most, and whatever you make of life, make it count.

The enemy of my enemy is not always my friend. Such may be an ally for a time, but friendship requires that someone stands with me against my enemies not because of who my enemy is, but because of who I am. Be worthy of such friends.

Don't go into tomorrow worried about how you are going to cope with it. Go into it knowing that you will cope with it, come what may. Knowing that you are a warrior, that you are worthy, come what may.

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.

Sometimes we learn lessons the hard way. After all, no one respects the flame quite like the fool who's badly burned. But a true warrior shares their hard-won wisdom, so that those who come after need not suffer for that knowledge.

Sometimes doing the right thing means accepting that you are in the wrong. Stubbornness and persistence can be great assets, but not when they lock you on a path that leads you in the wrong direction.

Cynicism is often the easiest position we can take, surrendering before even putting up a fight. Empathy and hope, a hunger for something better, are worthier paths. After all, it takes courage to strive for better days, to right what's wrong, to seek the sun even through the darkest of clouds.

There are times when weariness overtakes you, where courage feels beyond you, where staying strong is a daunting task. Take heart! The path to glory is not a straight line, and though detours and setbacks abound, the path is still there. So too is your strength, your courage, your glorious destiny.

Each day, give thought to those who have helped you, shown you compassion, have been there for you. As a true warrior, you may that person: one who came to someone's aid and are in their thoughts now. Be grateful, for that is true honor.

Be strong for those who cannot be. Be kind, but especially to those who seldom receive kindness. Be aware of your weaknesses, but also your strengths. Be smart, be brave, be loyal. In short, be a true warrior, and know I am proud to stand with you.

Only a fool is without fear. A true warrior knows and respects fear, but also strives to strike fear in the hearts of the dishonorable, the unjust, those who would use fear to oppress. Do not be fearless. Be fearsome.

Do not underestimate the soft spoken, the kind, the gentle. It takes strength to be those things, sometimes more than you will ever know. If you look closely at someone who conducts themselves honorably, you will find something fierce inside.

Kahless tells us that in the face of censors, of oppressors who would use your words against you even if true, you must speak out all the more loudly. All you do by silencing yourself voluntarily is save them the effort of silencing you.

Those without honor are almost always hypocrites, but do not think that exposing their hypocrisy will thwart them. Double standards are their weapons, wielded gleefully against those who attempt to maintain honor and fair play. Do not abandon your own principles, but know when your enemy has none.

You may find yourself in the company of those who act dishonorably, who bully or use words of hate and bigotry. A true warrior speaks out against this, seeks to correct it, but does not maintain such company. If you can't change those around you, change who's around you.

Do not avoid important tasks because they are inconvenient. That is an excuse, not a barrier. Momentary comfort should not outweigh doing what is right and necessary. Nothing worth having comes without effort.

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.

A polite bigot is a bigot nonetheless. A true warrior knows that courteous words do not dilute the poison, but only serve to conceal it until it has spread. Civility in the service of hate deserves no polite response.

Let no one define who you are but you. Nobody else has standing. Your deeds and your glories may be seen by all, but only you can know the well inside you from which that water was drawn.

There are some who will tell you that empathy is tyranny, that equality is inequality, that oppression is freedom. See these for the lies they are, and know the liars for the enemies they are.

Nobody's journey is quite like yours, yet there are others who face the same challenges, fight in the same battles, struggle with the same foes. None are exactly like you, but there are some who can help you shoulder your burdens. You are unique, but you are not alone.

Even the strongest among us feel weak at times. Even the smartest of us feel stupid at times. Even the most confident feel doubt. There is no shame in feeling that you are not always at your best. A true warrior feels these things, but strives for better. That way lies glory.

If hopelessness has made a home in your heart, it cannot be dislodged easily or all at once. Chip away at it with small victories, moments of hope and defiance. It is not easy and it will take time and effort, but strive to make it an uncomfortable home, a place where despair is no longer welcome.

Doing the right thing, making the right decision, can still fill you with regret and sadness. That does not make it any less right, but reminds you there may be a cost to doing the honorable thing. A true warrior accepts that hard decisions, like hard truths, can wound.

As much as we may wish to deny it, we are often motivated by fear more than anything else. It is a hard way to live. But true warriors pledge to meet those fears shoulder to shoulder, to stand against them together. In doing so, we are motivated against fear, not by it.