The line in the sand… we’ve all heard the cliché saying “Draw a line in the sand” which portrays the point that an individual will not go past or placing a limit on what someone will accept or do. In many ways, societal acceptance (the need for belonging, approval addiction or whatever name you attach to it) can have the same effect when an individual feels like they are excluded versus included.

This book dives a little deeper into societal acceptance, more specifically among veterans who are transitioning into a civilian job after military retirement, and looks at how an individual perceives the level of acceptance they are experiencing (or not) can impact their lives. I also provide some earlier research which reveals the physiological and psychological effects that individuals experience based on their perception of this acceptance being met or not.

The bottom line to societal acceptance is that the phenomenon truly exists and is rooted in both theory and research. But there was a gap in the research with regards to how the population of veterans’ experience this when they retire after serving in the military and try to navigate their way into a “second” career by finding meaningful employment.

My true hope in writing this book is to provide valuable data and a unique perspective on how we all can support those veterans who retire and still have so much value to contribute to society. And by recognizing things like their training, skillset, work ethics, the type of team environment they come from and how they can help drive culture, can make a huge difference for everyone involved (including the organization). Finally, I wrap up by providing some valuable insight into what successful integration can look like… and how we can erase the line in the sand.

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