Restoring Honor
Feb 27, 3
The next installment in the Mind, Body & Spirit series for veterans is here! This week’s video from Joel Holdford, Retired Chief of Police, US Army Veteran, and Lifeonomics coach, delivers a powerful message on living a life of Honor and integrity.
In the video,
Joel starts with a fun trick question (“Name three 2nd Lieutenants that can land navigate…”) before diving into the core challenge: What does “living a life of Honor” mean to you?
He defines Honor simply as doing what we say we’ll do and being who we say we are—a principle many veterans know well from their service oaths. Joel shares real-world examples from military units and police departments where people expend more energy avoiding work than excelling at it, leading to lives out of integrity. After realigning focus and attention (from last week’s challenge), this week urges restoring honor in all areas: relationships, promises kept (or not), and daily actions—with everyone, from friends to foes.
The result? Exponential personal power when you truly start believing in yourself.
Key Veteran Stats on Mental Health & Integrity Challenges
Many veterans carry the weight of service into civilian life, where lapses in personal integrity can compound struggles like mental health issues. According to the VA’s latest National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report (covering data through 2023, released in 2025/2026):
• In 2023, 6,398 veterans died by suicide, averaging about 17.5 per day (down slightly from 6,442 in 2022).
• The veteran suicide rate rose to 35.2 per 100,000 (from 34.7 in 2022), roughly twice the non-veteran rate of around 16.9–17 per 100,000.
• Veterans face elevated risks from factors like PTSD (affecting up to 29% of post-9/11 vets), depression, substance use, and isolation—issues that can erode self-integrity and make rebuilding honor feel daunting.
• Notably, many who died by suicide (around 61%) were not engaged with VA health care in their final year, highlighting the need for proactive steps in personal accountability and support.
Living with honor isn’t just a military ideal—it’s a foundation for healing, trust, and exponential growth in civilian life. Core military values like honor and integrity (as emphasized in Army values: “Do what’s right, legally and morally”) build trust and resilience long after service ends.
Watch the full video for Joel’s insights and this week’s big challenge: Restore honor and integrity in all things, large and small. Notice the power that emerges when you believe in you.
How are you defining and living honor this week? Share below—we’re in this together. 💪🇺🇸
#MindBodySpirit #Veterans #LivingWithHonor #Integrity #Lifeonomics #VeteranLife #PersonalGrowth
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