The Warrior Lifestyle – Making Your Life Extraordinary
The Warrior Lifestyle: Making Your Life Extraordinary is the third book in the Warrior Wisdom series, and continues to offer the reader insight into the warrior lifestyle. The warrior lifestyle is not what most people seem to think it is; it is a lifestyle based on the perfection of character, and not based on violence. To many people, the mental image that they visualize when they think of a warrior is that of a brute programmed for war. They picture a killing machine whose only concern is war – Rambo with no personal compass.
This is a common misconception where the true warrior is concerned. While the main definition of the warrior found in most dictionaries is, “Somebody who takes part in or has experience in warfare.” This definition is not the one that should be used to define the true warrior, and is not an accurate definition for the warrior lifestyle. A better definition for a warrior is, “Somebody who takes part in a struggle or conflict.” The true warrior is engaged in a struggle and it is a daily fight. His battle is not necessarily on the battlefield, but rather a personal battle to perfect his character and to become a man of excellence in every area of his life.
The relentless enemy that he must face is that of his base nature. He battles this enemy daily, constantly repelling the temptation to lower his personal standards which he has decided to make an integral part of his life. His standards, or his code of honor if you will, demand that he live a life of excellence. Because his code of honor involves much more than his martial skills, he realizes that there is much more to the warrior lifestyle than simply being experienced in the art of war or self-defense. He is engaged in a battle to conquer himself; the greatest victory is victory over one’s self.
While it is true that martial arts training is a vital part of warriorship, it is not the sole component of a true warrior. There are many people who are trained fighters who are not true warriors. The world is full of killers, gang members, and people of low character who are well-versed in weapons and how to take a human life, but is this the singular requirement for being a warrior? Are these people true warriors or simply trained thugs? Anyone can learn to pull a trigger or destroy the human body. Does this knowledge make them a true warrior, or is there more to the warrior than the ability to fight?
Throughout the centuries, there have been both men of low character and men of exceptional character engaged in warfare. Although they both have been trained in the art of war, there is a significant difference in these two types of men. The true warrior is a man of character. There is more to him than his fighting skills. He is a man of wisdom and honor. His presence makes those around him safer. His code of honor requires that he protect those around him and only use his martial skills for defense and never for personal gain or selfish reasons.
The true warrior is not a programmed killing machine, although he has the ability and the knowledge to render lethal applications of his skills if his duty requires such extreme actions. Though he is capable of rendering devastating injury to others, he never desires to do so. He is a man of peace and benevolence. His training in the martial arts is strictly for defense. The warrior pursues knowledge in the art of war in order to keep himself and those around him safe, not for personal egotistical reasons.
Warriors have an independent spirit. The warrior is a man who thinks for himself and thinks rationally. I have had many people question me concerning some of the people who I quote in my writing. They question whether or not this man or that man is appropriate as a source of wisdom for the warrior because of his reputation or something that he did in his lifetime. My response is there are no perfect people. I believe that the warrior should use wisdom wherever he finds it. Wisdom can come from various and unpredictable sources. Whether it is a five year old child or a wino on a street corner, anyone can have a profound and insightful thought.
True wisdom is universal. Should we discard an enlightened thought simply because we are not impressed with the person who is used to communicate that thought to us? The true warrior knows that the purpose of wisdom is to improve his life and his character. Even if that wisdom comes from a five year old child or an old wino, he is not too proud to take what is said and meditate on it and apply it in his life. He thinks for himself and is not influenced by political correctness or the mind games that many people play.
Our currency all comes from government sanctioned mints and has value no matter whose pocket it happens to be at any given moment. In the same way, universal wisdom all comes from One Source and is useful in guiding the warrior on the warrior’s path. It does not matter who the carrier of that wisdom may be, universal wisdom does not lose its value. The warrior knows this and uses his spirit as a guide to the truthfulness and validity of the thoughts of others. He uses what he finds useful and discards what strikes him as, “not quite right.”
There are many sides to the warrior. True warriors not only develop their physical skills, but they also focus on perfecting their mental, emotional, and spiritual sides. They seek to find balance in their life and to bring every part of their life into alignment with that of the warrior ideals. The ideals of the warrior focus on principles which lead to personal fulfillment in every area of his life. Warriors seek to perfect each part of their life, not only their martial art skills.
The warrior lifestyle is one of taking one’s life seriously, especially where honor, character, and integrity are concerned. It requires patience and self-discipline.
It requires dedication and hard work. The true warrior is not willing to go through life as so many others do, passing each day as if they are on auto-pilot, in a semi-hypnotic state. He prefers to live life to the fullest, and to live by his own standards. He prefers to be totally awake and live in the present moment.
The warrior’s path is a path of excellence, discipline, service, honor, and character. It is a path that not many are willing to walk, but one which benefits all who dare to travel its steep terrain. Everyone has a decision to make concerning which life-path he will choose. Most choose the path of least resistance. Only a select few choose the path of the warrior, but those who do, find it worth the struggle. The warrior’s path is a conduit of excellence. It is the path of the true human being – the warrior.