The Way of the WarriorExemplo

THE WARRIOR SEEKS TO BECOME INVISIBLE 

The warrior does not need to be seen. She is most powerful when she is invisible. The warrior knows that lesser opponents depend on swords and bows and arrows, but the weapon of the warrior is his wisdom. While there are many expressions of wisdom, for our purpose it will be defined as the ability to bring peace. The warrior wields a weapon only to defend, protect, and liberate. When the warrior is wise, he fights only for peace.

Where there is wisdom, there is always hope. Wisdom simplifies. Wisdom clarifies. Wisdom untangles. Wisdom unshackles. Wisdom illuminates. 

This is the highest expression of wisdom  —  to live our lives for others rather than ourselves. The fool lives to consume all he can take from the world. The wise live to create a better world. Wisdom is revealed by what a person fights for. If you fight for yourself, you have given yourself to too small a thing. The warrior fights against injustice, against poverty, against despair, against depression. 

In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon discovered that wisdom is better than strength. Wealth cannot secure your victory, and poverty cannot prevent it. Never let your lack of resources justify your lack of ambition. Never allow the measure of your wealth to be the measure of your life. Solomon was a man with both great wealth and great wisdom, but he could see clearly that only great wisdom ensures the best future.

The path toward wisdom is not taken by steps but by choices. We do not become fools because we lack the right information; we become fools because we love the wrong things. There is no more spiritual act than to choose. Before you swing your ax, choose your tree. Decide what your life is about; decide what is worth living for; find your intention. And no matter what may come, never relinquish your intention. 

In the end, most of us will wonder if what we’ve given ourselves to has been worth the fight, especially if no one remembers our names. And that’s why we must never forget that what is done for ourselves will one day be forgotten, but that what we have done for others will be remembered for eternity. 

GUIDING QUESTIONS

What are you fighting for in your life? Are you fighting just for your future, or the future of others? Are you letting a lack of resources serve as an excuse not to fight for your future? Are you giving your love away to foolish people or places? How can you recalibrate your intention for your life toward health, wisdom, and peace?