“Seize each day and find motivation within”, - famous cyborg, Foundation’s advisor on life after injury
Oleksandr Tereshchenko, veteran of the russia-Ukrainian war, founder of the Oleksandr Tereshchenko Charitable Foundation and and advisor of “Pislya Sluzhby” on motivation and rehabilitation, visited us to share his own experience and motivation with veterans. His precious experience and approach inspires those who return to civil life and are on the way to rehabilitation.
“It is important to find motivation within yourself, to be passionate about something”, - shares Oleksandr. He knows better than anyone that veterans face difficulties after returning from war, and their professional activities can be complicated due to different circumstances. However, finding a new profession or activity that brings joy, helps to expand horizons and provide them with opportunities for self-realization.
Oleksandr Tereshchenko, despite all the difficulties he has been through, feels real motivation in his life. “My life after an injury has become much more interesting and useful in some areas, than those 47 year I lived before the war.”- veteran says. He is actively doing sports, art, book writing and other hobbies, which help him to day-to-day life and make him happier.
“You must be happy and continue our Cossack lineage!” - Oleskander calls on veterans and everyone who faces difficulties after returning from the war. He emphasizes on the importance of finding motivation inside ourselves, doing sports, art or other hobbies which will help to get up from the bed and be grateful for any other day.
Life after war is not always easy, but it is worth finding motivation and moving forward. This will help to become happier and gain new opportunities in life. Let every day be filled with joy, motivation and confidence.
“Pislya Sluzhby” Foundation provides help to veterans and soldiers, helping them to find opportunities of treatment or rehabilitation, learn a new profession and realize themselves in various fields, as well as having psychological, legal support, etc. In order to get help, you have to register on the website and wait for the case-manager to call you.
Direct speech:
“I am Oleksandr Tereshchenko - veteran of the russia-Ukrainian war, founder of the Oleksandr Tereshchenko Charitable Foundation and and advisor of “Pislya Sluzhby” on motivation and rehabilitation.
It is important to find motivation within yourself, to be passionate about something. I know it myself, I know from the guys, that many veterans after returning from the war cannot return to the previous occupation: either it wasn't their favorite, because due to some reasons they can't do it anymore, or they have received some injuries. In war you understand that life flies fast, and you want to live it as richly as possible and so something your soul is passionate about. Here they will help you to decide, to understand which new profession you can get, what to do, and most importantly to realize yourself. Not just going to work, morning till night, forgetting about everything, including life. This will expand your horizons significantly and will increase your enjoyment of life. So please, take this into account and do not overlook it.
I will not tell you that I am that optimistic all day, I lost both hands and now I live happily. Of course, it was better with both hands, because I could play volleyball, pool and lots of other things. But it turned out that there are lots of activities I didnt think of earlier. I have skydived, I go hiking, and now I am planning to go 300 km on my own… and this is very important! Of course, sometimes I have depression, when I realize that I will not grow hands back, that it’s 56 years and nothing changes. I do not want to go outside and communicate with anyone. I withdraw into myself and play chess. But I also do not allow a single thought about interrupting this life. Because, stangelt, my life after a severe injury is richer and more useful than those 47 years I have lived before the war. And I have never regretted that I went to war and lost both hands. I can't imagine how I would be left now with my hands, and at this difficult moment for the country I was not there.
And that’s why I want to tell you that this motivation - is everything for me: chess, art, as well as writing books or articles. And nobody knows what your talent is, what you want to do tomorrow. And this could open a new opportunity. So, seize each day, find motivation within. Because many people when they receive an injury, disability… there is such an opinion that your loved ones waited for you, your wife, mother, and this is the reason you should live. But this does not last for long. Because you start to overthink, that you are a yoke for them, and they do not care. It could be that your wife said something harshly because she is in a bad mood, and you start to think “ She cannot live with me anymore, she is forcing herself”. You start to overthink and this can go even further and become worse.
You have to seek additional work inside, sport - is an important component - there are lots of possibilities for veterans and people with disabilities. Sport, art - everything that helps you to get up from the bed, and start a new day, to be grateful for the new day. To be honest with you, for me it's coffee as well.
Our war is not only on the frontline now, not only for territories, our enemy wants to destroy us as a nation, they want to destroy our souls and our will to live. They want you, when returning from the war didn't want to live and for the rest of your life remembered all the nightmares and horrible things happening in the war. Therefore to return and, despite all you have experienced, all you have seen, live and be happy, and continue our Cossack lineage - it's a necessity, this is essential for us in order to preserve our nation. So, please, when returning, do not neglect to seek help if you need it psychologically. This absolutely does not mean that you are weak as a person or as a soldier. If you need a self-support group, to gather with brothers-in-arms or sisters-in arms, simply to talk about life, you can do it here, in this wonderful building of “Pislya Sluzby”, where they will always be happy to see you. And just come with any kind of problem. It is also important to understand that your families, your wives and mothers, who are waiting for you, who are waiting for your call each day, that they also experience stress and PTSD, and they have changed after everything they have been through. This does not mean that they changed for the worse, they just changed. Therefore it is important to find common language and to understand each other and how to live together, to have a happy life. And here it is important to come together and discuss everything, so that children are not left alone, so that families do not fall apart.”
So, please, reach us, come! I am sure that life after war, life after injury, after amputation does not have to be worse. It will change, but you must be happy and continue our Cossack lineage.
