Finding Your Personal BUSHIDŌ
Finding Your Personal BUSHIDŌ
The Pen and Sword Journal - Vol 27
First, I want to start with Gratitude and wish for you dear reader
I want to begin this article by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who support us on behalf of our team. This substack is relatively new, having started last June, and the support we've received from all of you has exceeded our initial expectations. For that, we are truly grateful.
Your support has inspired us to produce higher-quality work, delve into more in-depth topics, and engage in greater self-reflection to share genuine experiences through these articles. This journey is something we are all excited about, and we look forward to seeing it grow and learning from it together. We hope your support continues to increase day by day, and we believe you can contribute by recommending this substack to someone who will appreciate it. Your support means the world to us, as we dedicate all our minds and hearts to it.
Additionally, we want to wish you a happy year with foremost great health for you and your loved ones. Most importantly, here's to a happy new 364 days remaining in this year. Our yearly resolutions will come true if we treat every day as a commitment on its own, as a life cycle on its own. Adopting the concept of Kaizen, or Continuous Improvement, means that what might seem insignificant in a day or two will accumulate into noticeable changes after months or a year. You'll surely notice and feel content that you stayed true to your best version of yourself despite good and not-so-good days.
May you have that little bit stroke of luck we all need occasionally, but as they say, luck favors the prepared mind. So, above all, I hope you have the Will to give life to the dreams you love and your purpose!
What is our Personal Bushidō?
"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how."
- Friedrich Nietzsche
This writing serves as a continuation of a previous article, "What is the real meaning of BUSHIDŌ?" If you haven't read it, I recommend checking it out before delving into this one.
Every day, we grapple with finding solutions, overcoming challenges, and combating inner opponents like doubt, fear, and hesitation. All of this demands a considerable amount of Warrior Energy (and not only), which manifests in the form of:
COURAGE:
Summoning the will to take action despite doubts, insecurities, and fears, even when the odds are not overwhelmingly in our favor.
Simone Biles, an exceptional gymnast, demonstrated immense courage with her triple-double performance at the 2019 World Championships. Despite the pressure and fear of failure, Biles fearlessly attempted and successfully completed a groundbreaking move, showcasing her as a true trailblazer in the sport. Biles teaches us that greatness comes from taking risks and pushing the boundaries of what is considered possible. Her determination inspires us to strive for our personal best and never settle for mediocrity.
Imagine the immense pressure and hesitation she felt at that moment. Having journeyed this far, a single mistake could mark the end of her competition. Perhaps a part of her, her inferior part of herself, which we all hear whisper into our minds, wished she wasn't there. Despite these doubts, she mustered every ounce of courage and took the leap. Not doing so would have haunted her with regret for a lifetime. Even if she had failed, she would have felt a mess, but the experience would be a lesson—fall, rise, and try again. The potential outcomes were not the foremost thoughts in Simone's mind at that moment. The crucial focus was pouring her entire being into the performance, achieving the goal, and letting her actions drown out the consuming inner voices.
RESILIENCE:
Embracing failure, enduring hard blows, and finding the will to get up and back on track, no matter how many times it's needed to achieve our objectives.
Let me share a personal story from a couple of years ago. It was a nature activity that took place over two days in the forest, focusing on expressing our masculine nature freely. We disconnected from the virtual world, with no internet or social media for those days. The schedule was packed from morning to night, involving various activities to cultivate our physical, psychological, and mental abilities.
One notable challenge was a Tug of War, where I witnessed a remarkable display of will and resilience. As the rope-pulling challenge began, both teams, blue on my left and red on my right, started with vigor and full strength. For about 30 seconds, it seemed like a tie. Then, the red team on my right intensified their pulls, dragging the blue team all over the floor. One by one, six out of seven members of the blue team started to lose spirit, and some may have given up, except for the first man. He refused to yield, held his ground steadfastly, screaming and maintaining his position as if he gained 200 pounds.
He was dragged near the defeat line, but he wouldn't budge an inch. For a moment, it was a fierce struggle to pull him across the line, but he resisted with incredible determination. Surprisingly, he became the only one standing a few inches from the brink of defeat for his team. At this point, I anticipated that the last member of the blue team would tire, but to my surprise, the opposite occurred. It was the members of the red team who started to tire, and he seized the opportunity, pulling with newfound strength. Witnessing this, his teammates regained their spirit, pulled together, and achieved an astonishing victory, dragging the red team back from the edge of triumph through sheer grit.
I was amazed by such extraordinary willpower. After the event, I went up to the guy to express my appreciation and respect. Initially, I noticed his torn clothes, but upon closer inspection, I saw that both of his palms were bleeding from a cut caused by the rope. Once again, I witnessed an event where the saying "If there's a will, there's a way" held true.
SHEER WILLPOWER:
Overcoming physical, emotional, and mental limits to reach our goals.
Michael Jordan's performance in the 1997 NBA Finals, known as the "Flu Game," showcased his extraordinary determination. Despite suffering from a severe case of the flu, Jordan led his team to victory with a remarkable 38-point performance. This moment emphasizes that regardless of obstacles or physical challenges, greatness is achievable with mental fortitude and the drive to push through.
A LASER-FOCUSED MIND:
Resisting distractions and maintaining concentration in action (Joriki).
Usain Bolt's record-breaking races highlight the importance of mental preparation and focus. Bolt's ability to block out distractions and stay composed under intense pressure teaches us the significance of staying calm and focused, even when the stakes are high.
INSTILLING CONFIDENCE:
Maintaining confidence despite doubts creeping in.
Muhammad Ali's "Rumble in the Jungle" is a historic boxing match that teaches valuable lessons about confidence and strategy in overcoming challenges. Despite being the underdog, Ali showcased unwavering self-belief and employed a brilliant strategy known as the "rope-a-dope," ultimately leading to victory. Ali's triumph demonstrated us the importance of self-assurance, adaptability, and calculated risk-taking in achieving victory. That was a clear example that confidence and strategic thinking can conquer even the most daunting challenges in our lives.
SELF-DISCIPLINE:
Finding the courage to do the right thing in a crucial moment is a great feat. However, in my view, enduring, staying true to the promises we've made to ourselves, and adhering to our schedule, whether it's a good or bad day, whether it's sunny, rainy, or snowy, represents one of the greatest challenges.
All the individuals I mentioned earlier, and countless others beyond sports, boxing, and athletics, possessed a significant amount of discipline. It's certain that this discipline facilitated the expression of many other qualities. That's because it shaped and refined all their skills, on physical, emotional, and mental levels.
However, it's not possible to demonstrate all these skills if we don't have a profound connection and COMMITMENT TO A PURPOSE.
This is the primary prerequisite that enables the development and expression of the warrior energy aspects I mentioned earlier. It's the fundamental and essential essence of a warrior, having something to serve (hence the term Samurai, meaning "to serve"), a path to follow where strength is drawn, an intent, or you can call it a transpersonal commitment. Without this intent, awakening the warrior spirit becomes impossible. Because the warrior's purpose is to test their strength in overcoming life's obstacles, whether they are internal, external, or both, all this to make a certain objective possible.
This goal can manifest in sports, athletics, or competitive fighting, as I mentioned earlier. However, it's not confined to those areas. It could involve protecting something we cherish, establishing and nurturing an endeavor from the ground up, whether in business, charity, and so forth. It might involve overcoming inner struggles like anxiety, depression, or insecurity. Likewise, it could be a combination of all these and more. This psychological journey, where we must awaken, develop, and refine our strength and will, ensuring it doesn't remain in an “embryonic stage”, represents our Personal Bushidō. It defines the form our Way of the Warrior assumes.
What else is your Personal Bushidō? It's the journey or life mission, the Way that you believe you must pursue, and it might even be the path you feel destined to take. In Japanese, it's called Shinjin—the true you. It contrasts with working solely for a paycheck or keeping your authentic self at a distance from your job or daily activities. You are on a Bushido path when there's no gap between what you do and who you truly are.
When you're fully dedicated to your goals, no matter what they are, you're walking your "Bushidō." It's the consistent choice of the Bushidō path that sets the determined individual apart from someone who is simply going with the flow in life.
How do we connect with our Personal Bushidō?
In many cases, the things we committed ourselves to but didn't achieve were often because we didn't desire them strongly enough.
We can pretend many things, like faking confidence for some time, faking courage and more, but one thing we can't pretend is dedication and genuine commitment from the core. It's not essential that your reason for living, your Personal Bushidō, matters to someone else as it much as it does to you, just as it's not necessary for someone else’s Bushidō to align with what you would choose. What truly matters is that your deep-seated purpose, your Bushidō, is authentically yours.
The initial step is identifying your Personal Bushidō.
Pose questions to yourself about what you wish to live for each day. What values do you want to uphold? It could involve becoming the most skilled businessperson, ensuring your family's well-being, spreading joy to others, nurturing your children, growing your business, innovating a new product, offering stable jobs with safe conditions to your employees, completing your education, excelling in sports, martial arts, or contributing to a charitable cause. Numerous Bushidō paths exist, and the crucial aspect is that you have a clear understanding of what yours is.
Embrace the principle of Give-up-to-Get
This rule that extends to both individuals and corporations, encompassing personal and business aspects. Essentially, this concept underscores the necessity of making sacrifices in order to wholeheartedly commit to a particular pursuit. To truly dedicate yourself to a significant goal, it requires temporarily relinquishing the pursuit of other potential objectives. This principle is well understood by those with total commitment, but often eludes those with scattered focus.
To apply the Law of Give-up-to-Get, thoroughly examine your genuine Bushidō goals. Then, determine what sacrifices you need to make to attain your authentic, deeply rooted objectives. Be realistic and avoid self-deception. Sacrifices are undeniably challenging. Many individuals and corporations desire to achieve everything simultaneously. By adhering to the Law of Give-up-to-Get, you become akin to pruning shears, trimming away what hinders your progress.
Every day, take a moment to remind yourself of what truly matters to you
Also, dedicate your day to that purpose. Before starting your daily tasks, express your personal Bushidō to yourself. If your goal is financial success, affirm, "Today, I will focus on generating as much money as I can." Alternatively, if your aim is to foster peace and tranquility in your life, declare, "I dedicate this day to seeking harmony in all aspects and embracing a relaxed, balanced way of living."
Take a pause at some point in your day and reflect on whether you are truly following your bushido. When you commit your day to your personal bushido, it's like making a promise to yourself. Evaluate whether you are staying true to that promise. If you notice any deviation, make a fresh start right away and realign yourself with your purpose. Reorient your focus on what truly matters to you.
Reflect at the end of the day
Reflect on your day before you go to bed and consider if you lived it in alignment with your intentions. If you succeeded, you'll experience a sense of justified satisfaction. If you fell short, make a renewed commitment to living in accordance with your bushido from that moment onward. Dedicate yourself to it and start afresh.
Conclusion
The key is to stay connected with our Bushidō, therefore something that represents the best part of ourselves. To achieve that, we must nurture it with our mind, emotions, and actions. Wherever we focus our entire being like a laser, that thing will grow to become a powerful influence in our lives or the lives of others, for better or worse.
Our Bushidō Path is something sacred to the core, representing our true selves—an expression of our nature, values, ideals, and our entire being. It propels our warrior energy to overcome both outer and inner obstacles, cultivating growth and strength. While we no longer live in the feudal Japan era of warfare with bows, swords, and spears, our current reality is not all sunshine and rainbows. Today's battles may not be as physical but are often subtle and psychological, existing in a society where power struggles persist, and individuals seek dominion over others. The fight takes various forms, from building something meaningful to educating our children to follow their own Bushido. As a Chinese proverb wisely notes, it's not enough to provide a fish to prevent hunger; we must teach our children how to fish for themselves.
Our battles can also involve charitable causes, pursuing professional or athletic careers, or engaging in martial arts to conquer inner adversaries and uphold cherished values. There are countless ways, and it ultimately depends on our individual inner selves and true nature. Personal Bushidō today doesn't have to mirror someone else's, and vice versa. What matters is that it holds significance for each of us, pushing us to transcend limits, empower ourselves, progress, and nurture the wisdom, love, and will to manifest our dreams and purposes. This is a life of Bushidō, the Way of the Warrior—worth fighting for, sweating for, and sacrificing our comfort for the greater journey.
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Once more, I wish you the will to bring your purpose to life in each of the remaining 364 days!