Chapter 195
The Weight of Command and Loss
From Smolénsk the troops continued to retreat, followed by the enemy. On the tenth of August the regiment Prince Andrew commanded was marching along the highroad past the avenue leading to Bald Hills. Heat and drought had continued for more than three weeks. Each day fleecy clouds floated across the sky and occasionally veiled the sun, but toward evening the sky cleared again and the sun set in reddish-brown mist. Heavy night dews alone refreshed the earth. The unreaped corn was scorched and shed its grain. The marshes dried up. The cattle lowed from hunger, finding no food on the…
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Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Service Network
Make two lists: people who depend on your job title or position, and people who depend on you as a person. Think about your family, coworkers, neighbors, or community members. Notice which list feels more essential to who you really are. Consider what this reveals about where your authentic power actually lies.
Consider:
- •The people on your second list probably matter more to your sense of purpose
- •Your job title can disappear, but your capacity to serve others cannot
- •Sometimes loss reveals what was always most important
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you lost something you thought defined you (a job, relationship, role) but discovered something more important in the process. What did you learn about your real source of strength?
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