The Warrior's Path

The Bigger Picture

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:50:56 -0400

So you’ve had a “bad” day. A rough week. A hard year. And yeah, yeah, you know that this too shall pass, but at the moment, your situation seems bleak and almost impossible to overcome. We’ve all been here; human beings all share these troubling experiences, whether spoken of or not. Remember, you’re not alone, and many of us can help if asked. But most importantly, those of us who choose to reflect on the Bigger Picture make it through the dark valleys with our heads still high, with our eyes focused forward, and with our guts intact.

How do you view your life? By the day, the week, the month? If you’ve had turmoil this week, can you not see the whole month and say, “Overall, I’m up.” If this month has proven difficult, can you not look at the rest of the year—all the lessons you’ve learned, the tests you’ve surmounted, the progresses you’ve made—and proclaim, “All in all, this year, I’m looking good!” And if this year has been arduous, filled with worry or confusion, can you not quell the trepidation to some degree by veering at the expanse of your life to remind yourself: “I’m still here! I’ve known so many wonderful people, learned so many invaluable lessons, gone through such a wealth of amazing experiences… Overall, I’m proud.”

Take a moment during a day, a week, a month of hardship to contemplate, or perhaps even to write down all of your accomplishments—large or small—that comprise your bigger picture. All of the things for which you deserve a pat on the back, all of the stuff for which you should be applauded. Read over the list, then go ahead and give yourself that pat. If you’ve made it this far, you’ve survived. You’ve traversed ups and downs, highs and lows, and you’re still moving forward, still breathing, still fighting. You’re a wiser person, a better friend and family member, and you’re making healthier decisions for yourself every day. For this, you deserve a standing ovation. Look at the big picture and applaud yourself. And don’t worry, next month will be better; next year will be great. Today, you might feel down. But if you’re still kicking, moving, learning, growing—indeed, if you’ve made it this far in life, then trust me… You’re up!

Be As You See Fit

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:38:42 -0400

If you want kindness to come to you, be kind. If you want goodness in your life, be good. If you want to be loved, be loving. If you want abundance, be grateful. If you want freedom, be yourself. And as Mahatma said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

All energy in your life begins and perpetuates with you. No matter what is happening on the outside, you are the master of an internal galaxy, and you may hold ideas and events however you choose. With kind eyes, you will find and observe kindness. With a loving heart, you will attract and experience love. You need not outside forces to dictate your inner world; only you are necessary in the matter of becoming peacefully and joyfully alive.

You are, of course, unable to control the constant changes within the Universe, and perhaps unable to truly control your own emotional reactions to those changes. But you DO have power over your actions, your awareness, your attention, and ultimately thoughts and attitude. This power is your will and your wisdom. And with this power, this wisdom, you have the freedom to say, behave, think, be, indeed to exist as you see fit—to hold events as you deem healthy, and to stay kind, good, loving, positive, and abundant no matter what occurs “out there.” So how will you choose to be? In what sort of world do you want to exist?

Use your power often and with intention. Be as you want the Universe to be, and it shall exist in your heart and mind accordingly.

Never Give Up

Mon, 23 May 2011 12:35:29 -0400

The Warrior is on the ground, bleeding. His opponent stands in front of him, and the bloodied warrior is almost paralyzed by fear and despair. A voice whispers in his mind that it’s time to give up, that he must admit defeat… But no, never! He cannot give up, he will not. The warrior must keep moving, he must rise. He looks back to his small child watching nearby, and the Warrior knows he must survive for the child, he must fight for both of their lives. He kills the voice in his head, stands back up with fire in his gut, and charges forward ruthlessly, eyes filled with rage, heart imbued with determination.

This is the moment of truth! The defining moment of your character. This fear, this despair, this setback is the opportunity of your lifetime—the chance to RISE beyond yourself, to become something greater than you thought you could be, to embody the power of which you’ve only before dreamed. You must survive. You must not give up. Fight for yourself, and for the child whom you protect—whether it be your actual son or daughter, or your inner child, both of whom depend on you to never give up! Tell the negative voices to “Be quiet!” at once; Forget all the what-if’s, all the different projections of what might be; and just focus! Become singularly concentrated. Discard all other tasks, tear down all other targets for the time being, and focus only on one—this one bull’s-eye. One target is much easier to hit when the others have dissolved, when all the predictions of what will occur should you win or lose melt away. Determine solely and precisely what needs to be done in order to hit THIS target. Nothing else, nothing more. No meanings or results. Just the task at hand. Just the target. Just survival.

Close the back door of defeat and despair. Start moving forward again: The Gold is in action! Find the front door and open it. There is gold out there, plenty of it—you just have to open the door and let it in. That means focus. That means action. That means defeating your most difficult opponent: You own negative premonitions, your own fear! When you need a boost, think of your child. Get up for him or her. Keep moving. Keep fighting. This is your time, your greatest moment. Never give up! Never.

-Coach Jeremy

Living by Terms

Wed, 11 May 2011 13:03:20 -0400

The Warrior lives his life by a strict set of principles. These are lines in the sand across which he will not budge; he calls the lines “Terms”—non-negotiable, unalterable terms. Persisting without these lines is like wandering without a map. With no guide, no place of reference, there is an overwhelming quality of being out of control, of being easily manipulated, of losing oneself in the vast, ever-changing winds of time and space.

Which principles do YOU live by? What lines in the sand have you drawn? Where are your unalterable terms…or where do you feel they should be? Every man or woman who thinks himself a modern warrior, who aims to live a good and fruitful life of humility, prosperity, and integrity must have a set of Terms. Start with three terms at the least. Write them down and place them above your head on the wall where every day you gaze. Remind yourself often about your principles. For life is indeed changing constantly, and so are you. Terms may even change over time; some may dissolve, while others will develop. But whatever is posted on the wall, whatever lines you have drawn for this period of your life—the choices you know to be right for you right now—shall act as your map. And when making your decisions throughout the days, you will refer to these terms for guidance, so that you shall live the life you aim to live, so that you will be the man or woman you want to be.

Listen to your gut, to your heart, and let your Inner Wisdom compose a short set of Terms that will guide your path. Find a balance in existence between the changing flow and your steadfast convictions… Embody the Warrior’s spirit of freedom, but if you should ever feel lost in your roaming, refer back to your terms to embody the Warrior’s heart of principle, and you shall know you are on the right path.

The Nice Guy vs. The Good Man

Wed, 04 May 2011 13:00:53 -0400

A warrior is not often thought of as a “nice guy.” Accordingly, this is not his aim. There is a difference between acting nice and living a good life, between trying to be a nice guy and being a good man or woman.

The “nice” person is obedient. He does unto others as he sees fit, but does not require others to do good unto him. He often sacrifices his own voice, his own choice for that of others, and takes a followers role in order to appear “nice.” Often, these actions are performed with hidden resentment and self-deprecation. Indeed, the “nice guy” acts this way not out of compassion or power, but rather from self-doubt. He is nice so that others will like him, so that he will not disappoint them, so that he does not stand out, rock the boat, or get left behind. In this sense, the “nice” lifestyle is a drab, powerless existence—not a very nice place to live

The “good” life, however, is a powerful and righteous path. The good man or woman does unto others as s/he would have them do unto him, regardless of how others actually do (similar to the nice guy); but unlike the “nice” pleaser, the good man stands up for himself, voices his opinion when necessary, and remains steadfast in his convictions…even if others don’t think this stance is very “nice.” He does not walk the pleasing path to be liked or to not disappoint. He rather walks the good path—the right path—making decision he believes are right and true, acting in service but standing up for beliefs, building the right relationships, doing the right things, and fighting the worthy battles. “Right” to him or her is not based on social cues—what others say is right—but instead on what he or she feels is righteous, in line with his/her spiritual path and worldly purpose. The good man is often nice because he acts from compassion and service, and he acknowledges his choice in acting affably because it’s the right way to be in a particular situation.

In fact, being a nice person is often part of being a good person; but do not ignore your right path, your voice, your presence, in order simply to be agreeable and included. Walk the righteous path, and the right people and situations will inevitably arrive in your life. Continue to walk the nice path, even in the face of your own misery or self-contempt, and the ones who will take advantage of you will fill your world. In the end, the good person wins the spiritual and emotional battle; the nice guy never really plays at all.

The Illusion Forever

Mon, 02 May 2011 21:57:56 -0400

Often we let the small things bother us, not because they’re so very terrible in themselves, but rather because we’ve become attached to the idea of permanent states. We use the notion of permanence to both soothe and protect us as well as to feed the emotional baggage with which we identify. In fact, the situation you’re brooding over really wouldn’t be so bad if you knew for sure that it would pass in an hour or a day or even a week, right? …But forever? “I can’t deal with this forever!” And indeed, you won’t have to. For is this really a permanent state? May this not pass in a day or a week or a month? Is this “problem” truly unsolvable or unchanging? Even physical situations which are in fact “permanent” are not necessarily all-encompassing of permanence: Your current emotional state or perspective with regards to the particular condition will also eventually transform. In fact, the fear or thought or attachment toward some state of mind or being lasting forever is so far from the truth, that you might actually laugh at the notion once the state has passed.

The only way a state lasts beyond its reasonable and healthy timeline is by way of the dwelling human mind, indentifying with and holding onto the state, which feeds some deeper emotional and spiritual misalignment. So, what stifling emotions have you become attached to, unwilling to let go of? What’s keeping you stuck in the dark past or in perceived futures? Where and why are you not living fully here and now?

Think of your answers carefully. The next time you find your mind spinning with shame or anxiety, with worry or regret, ponder your illusions of forever and the truth of impermanence. Move from worry and problem into trust and solution. Take resolving action and keep moving forward! Most importantly, let yourself reside lightly in life, in the beauty and truth of constant change, in the freedom of possibility, in the warm comfort of faith. Remember, nothing is forever. Certainly not this situation or state of mind. Not even you! (Big news, right?) So let the past go; don’t fear this state will be everlasting; and enjoy what is right here and now to enjoy.