We’ve all seen it. We know the movie by heart. The opening sequence of Top Gun and “Cougar” is loosing it during a battle in the air. He looks at the picture of his wife and kids and he disengages from the moment. His plane glides quietly while the battle goes on around him. Maverick comes to the rescue and the rest is movie making history.

Let’s stay focused on Cougar though…

After the episode in the sky, he says “I’m holding on too tight, I’ve lost the edge” and turns in his wings. He was number one. The best. The Top Gun.

Have you ever felt like Cougar? Life gets hard. The battles are intense. Have you ever felt like pulling the mask back and disengaging from the fight? You’re still there. You’re still around but you are completely removed from the actual battles and grind. Even when you’re the best. Even if you’re the Top Gun. You think of your family. You start thinking about the “What If’s”. You simply disengage from the daily grind.

I have

I do

I’m just being honest

I don’t recommend it.

Like Cougar, re-engaging in the fight can be hard. He never did. He turned in his wings and Tom Cruise took over. When you disengage from the battles of life, re-entering the fight might be more difficult than you realized. Finding your groove again and what made you who you are is tough. Finding your place in the big picture is tough. You loose the edge. You loose the focus. You forget what you’re fighting for and who you’re fighting for.

Stay the course. Fight the fight. Don’t disengage. Don’t be like Cougar.

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