To approach life with positivity, forgiveness and humour

Photograph of Bob, Shreyas and William at the back of the bus, chosen by William Wiseman as a special image from the trip to Vietnam.

William writes: 

Circle of influence

The 2019 Anzac Spirit adventure to Vietnam was a trip full of phenomenal experiences from the Long Tan service to the 3km walk up to Camp Carroll. I experienced so many memorable moments throughout this adventure but I have chosen as the highlight of the trip was listening to our special guest, Vietnam War Veteran Sergeant Robert Kearney  (Bob) talking about his life stories, real life experiences of the Vietnam War and philosophies - learning about how to approach life with positivity, forgiveness and humour.

A man that has impacted on my life for the better, a man that has changed the way I look at the meaning of my life and the way that I should approach challenges in my life. This man is a mentor, a teacher and an inspiration to me and all that shared the Anzac Spirit adventure. The qualities of this man were significant as he shared stories of his life and experiences of the Vietnam War which had a significant impact on each and every one of us. It was an honour to sit at the back of the bus as he imparted his knowledge and history of the Vietnam War and life experiences with us. Each of us greatly valued his time and grew and learnt from his story telling. The photo I have chosen depicts Bob sharing one of his memorable yarns to us up the back of the bus whilst we travelled from Hoi An to Hue.

Bob had a variety of stories, some being a little more appropriate than others! One which resonates with me the most is not a story but a philosophy that Bob strongly follows, “The circle of Concern, the Circle of Influence”. A circle of Concern encompasses the wide range of concerns we have – health, family, money, government and the threat of war. The circle of Influence encompasses those concerns we can do something about, they are concerns we have some control over (Covey. S. 1992). Bob lives by this philosophy and shared this belief with us. That is, if you can’t influence a concern  then it should not be a concern in your life, rather focus on the important things in your life that you do have control over.

Bob and all Australian men and women who fought in wars sacrificed so much. Many made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives and others, like Bob, war time change the trajectory of their lives so significantly and the trauma of war time would left physical and psychological  scars that many never recovered from. Bob's philosophy of forgiveness, kindness and positivity by working on things that you can do something about in ones life was inspiring. 

Thank you to Bob for sharing your time and experiences with us and for the many laughs we can now share about our amazing experiences in Vietnam. Thank you also to Malcolm, Maddi, Ellen and Lauren for also being our leaders and mentors. We will fondly remember you all throughout our lives from our Vietnam adventure.