Life with No Limits: John Wick and the Power of Mental Health Warrior Principle 5

It was a sunny afternoon, and I found myself downtown, strolling through the park, trying to clear my head. Life’s challenges had been hitting me like a freight train, but after 20 years of battling mental health disorders, I’ve learned how to bend with the blows instead of breaking.

That’s when I saw him — John Wick. Yes, that John Wick — looking unusually peaceful for a man who’s faced impossible odds. He sat on a park bench, sipping coffee, his dog stretched out beside him.

I couldn’t resist. “John Wick? Is that you?”

He looked up and gave me that signature nod. “Bruce, right? The guy who created the Mental Health Warrior Program?”

Before I could reply, he added, “I’ve been reading your book, I Triumphed Over Bipolar, Alcoholism, and Anxiety Disorder by Becoming a Mental Health Warrior. Some of your principles really stuck with me.”

“Which one?” I asked.

John leaned forward, his gaze steady. “I’ve faced my share of battles — mental and physical — and there are moments when it feels like your life is slipping out of your control.”

He paused.

“Then I read Mental Health Warrior Principle 5: You are not defined or limited by your life’s challenges. That one hit home.”

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You're in Charge

I smiled. “I get it, John. After 20 years of battling Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD, I reached a point where I felt like I had no control. My challenges were running the show — and I felt so powerless that I tried to end my life. But in that darkness, I discovered something life-changing: mental health is the key to triumphing over any challenge.”

Armed with that knowledge,. I created the Mental Health Warrior Program — a bold new SELF-HELP approach that puts YOU in charge. So you can take charge of your emotions, overcome challenges and build the life you really want!

John Wick nodded, that familiar intensity returning to his eyes. “Exactly. When life’s challenges come at you, it’s easy to think they’re calling the shots. But you’re saying we still have the power, right?”

“Exactly,” I said. “And that’s the heart of Mental Health Warrior Principle 5. It reminds us that we are not defined or limited by our challenges. It gives us the mindset to reclaim control.”

John leaned in. “So Principle 5 isn’t just encouragement… it’s empowerment.”

“Right,” I said. “And it empowers us in three powerful ways.”

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Benefit 1: Tools Put You Back in Control

“First, we become Warriors,” I said. “Armed with tools that help us manage our emotions. That’s how we stop drifting — and start choosing where our lives go.”

I continued, “I’ve lived with Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD for more than twenty years. Those challenges didn’t disappear. But once I learned how to manage my emotions like a Warrior, I stopped being controlled by them.”

I paused.

“That’s when everything changed. Life’s challenges — mental health struggles, stress, pressure — they all hit us emotionally first. When emotions take over, we react. And reaction hands over control.”

“But as a Mental Health Warrior, you have tools that help you slow that moment down. You handle emotions with clarity instead of chaos.”

“And that’s the real difference,” I added. “When you manage your emotions, YOU make the decisions. Not your challenges.”

John's Takeaway: 

John nodded slowly. “I get it. Like when I’m cornered by twenty enemies in a hallway. My instinct is to let fear or rage take over.

But if I do that, I lose control. That’s when I lean on Mindset Rule 2: Respond, Not React.”

“I pause — just long enough to breathe and reset. That pause gives me clarity. It lets me respond with precision instead of reacting in chaos.”

He looked back at me. “In my line of work, that difference means everything: stay alive, stay in control, finish the mission.”

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Benefit 2: We See Through the Lies That Keep Us Stuck

“And second,” I continued, “you start to see that mental health challenges lie to us. They whisper things that aren’t true. They tell us we’re not strong enough… that we can’t move forward… that we’re stuck forever.”

I paused. “I believed those lies for years. They convinced me I had no future — and believing them nearly cost me my life.”

“But once I built my Warrior mindset, I stopped accepting every thought as truth and started seeing those lies for what they were.”

“That’s when everything opened up,” I said. “That’s when I began building a life with no limits.”

John Wick actually laughed — a rare sight. “You know,” he said, “life’s challenges are a lot like hitmen. They sneak in, get in your head and try to convince you you’re powerless. But once you know their tricks, you can outsmart them.”

John's Takeaway:  

John leaned back. “Challenges whisper lies the same way fear does. They tell you you’re weak. That you’re finished. That you don’t stand a chance.”

He shook his head.

“But a Warrior doesn’t believe the first thing his mind — or his enemies — throw at him. When I stop and test those lies, they almost always fall apart.”

“Fear becomes focus. Weakness becomes strategy. Noise becomes clarity.”

He looked at me. “With the right mindset and tools, the lies lose their power — and you stay in control.”

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Benefit 3: Warriors Don’t Survive, They THRIVE

“For years, I was just surviving,” I said. “Bipolar Disorder, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD had one mission — keep me in survival mode.”

“But once I embraced the Mental Health Warrior tools and Principle 5 — that I am not defined or limited by my challenges — everything shifted. I stopped surviving… and started thriving.”

I leaned forward, my voice firm. “Most people go through life avoiding their emotions. Suppressing them. Pretending they don’t exist.”

“But Warriors? We accept them. We work with them.”

“That gives us a massive edge,” I continued. “It means we can take life in any direction we choose, change course when needed and chase new challenges without fear — because we’re in charge.”

“That’s the beauty of the Mental Health Warrior Program,” I added. “It’s not about fighting against yourself. It’s about empowering yourself.”

John's Takeaway:  

John leaned back, thoughtful. “You know, most of my life has been about survival. One mission after another. One fight after another. I thought that was living — but it wasn’t. It was enduring.”

He looked at his dog and gave a rare half-smile. “When I follow this principle — not letting challenges limit me — I see that life isn’t just about getting through the next battle. It’s about living each moment fully.”

Then he looked back at me, eyes steady. “Challenges will always be there. But they don’t own me. I’m a Mental Health Warrior — and that makes all the difference.”

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Wrap Up

“Bruce, thank you,” he said. “I’m going to share your book, I Triumphed Over Bipolar, Alcoholism, and Anxiety Disorder by Becoming a Mental Health Warrior, with my friends. People need to know they’re not defined by their challenges — and they’re not limited by them either.”

I watched him walk away, his dog trotting calmly at his side, and a deeper truth settled in.

Every Warrior faces challenges — some daily, some for a lifetime. But none of those challenges get to decide what our lives look like.

WE DO!

That’s the power behind Mental Health Warrior Principle 5. That’s how you build a life with no limits — even when mental health challenges come along for the ride.

So the next time your mind whispers that you’re stuck… broken… or limited…

Remember this: Warriors don’t believe the lies. Warriors choose their path. And Warriors take their lives in the direction they decide!

Bruce Schutter

Every day is a chance to choose strength — because YOU'RE IN CHARGE!