As the sun rises on ANZAC Day 2025, many of us will pause to reflect on the courage and sacrifice of those who came before us.
For me, it’s also a deeply personal time. I think of my grandfather, Ernie “Wiggy” Kempton, known to me simply as Pop.
Pop was my father figure during my early years, a man of strength, humour, and quiet resilience. He served 1,963 days in the Australian military during World War II, with 1,155 of those days in active service overseas.
His war stories weren’t always about combat. More often, they were about camaraderie, like rolling a truck full of mates on the way to Cairo for some “down time” and having his pay docked for it, taking cheeky “pot shots” at a Japanese General on a white horse, or sabotaging rations to make life harder for the enemy.
But amidst the humour were the hard moments too, like the quiet grief he carried when he spoke of his brother, shot by a sniper.
And through it all, he maintained a remarkable level of physical and mental fitness. Even into his 50s, 60s ad 70s, he kept active, and perhaps more importantly, kept perspective.
Mental Fitness Isn’t Just Modern – It’s Timeless
Today, we talk about resilience and mental strength like they’re new concepts.
But men like Pop lived them, long before those terms became buzzwords.
He didn’t have Instagram quotes or neuroscience studies to guide him. What he had was lived experience. Perseverance. Perspective.
A deep understanding that the hardest days require the strongest minds, and that strength isn’t just about stoicism, but about love, connection, and hope.
On one particular day in 1945, Pop’s diary entry was in written in excited, grateful handwriting: It was the last day of the war. He wrote:
“Cease fire. 9:30pm – NEVER FORGET. Thinking of all the folks at home – THANK GOD. Oh I’m so happy… Relief and happiness. A night I’ll never forget. Dear God, thank you on behalf of humanity.”
Moments like that remind us that even in the darkest seasons, light does return. But only if we keep going.
And that’s what mental fitness really is, the ability to keep showing up, through adversity, grief, fear, and uncertainty.
The Hidden Message That Still Speaks Volumes
Tucked away in the middle of Pop’s diary was a message not from him, but from my Nan, his wife, written before he deployed, for him to discover while away. She wrote:
“My Husband, oh how I love this husband of mine. So tender, loving and so fine. Never have I known such true love, for which I thank the Lord above.”
Pop’s eventual response, simple but profound, still rings in my ears today:
“Happiness is Freedom, and Freedom is Courage.”
Those eight words carry lessons that still matter, in life, in business, in leadership, and in mental fitness.
Lessons in Perspective for a Modern World
It’s easy to lose sight of what really matters when we’re overwhelmed by our own busyness or setbacks.
But the ANZACs, and those like Pop teach us that strength isn’t the absence of struggle. It’s how we meet it.
And often, it’s connection, gratitude, and a sense of purpose that get us through.
Here are a few mental fitness takeaways we can draw from their legacy:
- Perspective is power
When we zoom out and look at the bigger picture, many of our daily stressors seem manageable. Pop endured years of separation, war, and grief. Yet, his words were filled with gratitude and faith. We can train our minds to do the same. - Stay connected to purpose and people
Pop didn’t just fight for his country. He fought for his family. His marriage, his mateship, his humour, these weren’t just nice-to-haves, they were fuel for his endurance. Modern mental fitness still relies on those human fundamentals and having worthy pursuits. - Gratitude is a grounding force
Even in his final wartime entry, he wasn’t focused on vengeance or bitterness. He was thankful. For life. For peace. For home. Gratitude rewires the brain, and it strengthens the heart. - Mental fitness is not about avoiding the hard stuff – it’s about learning to carry it better
Pop carried grief. He carried trauma. But he kept moving. He told his stories. He stayed active. He forgave. And he loved.
Final Thought: Honour Through Action
This ANZAC Day, let us honour not just by remembering, but by applying their wisdom to our lives. Let’s train our minds to be strong like theirs, not hardened, but hopeful.
Not rigid, but resilient. And let’s remember that behind every uniform there is a human being who faced hardship and kept going.
So today, I ask:
- What challenge are you facing that could use a little ANZAC perspective?
- What memory, what gratitude, what connection will help you carry it?
- And how can you strengthen your mental fitness, one decision at a time?
Because, in the words of my Pop:
“Happiness is Freedom, and Freedom is Courage.”
