Apr

8

Lessons from the Warrior of the Light

Filed Under changing the world, entrepreneurship, execution, failure, fear, goal setting, passion, perseverance, quotes, regular reads, self improvement, startup, strategy, things to ponder about, things to remind myself, values 

I’m definitely a fan of Paulo Coelho, the renowned Brazillian author. He has a unique way of teaching the lessons in life that he has learned through storytelling.

A few lessons from the Warrior of the Light.

Using one’s own madness

A warrior of the light studies very carefully the position he wishes to conquer.

However difficult his objective may be, there is always a way to overcome the obstacles. He verifies the alternative routes, sharpens his sword, and seeks to fill his heart with the perseverance necessary to face the challenge.

But, as he advances, the warrior realizes there are difficulties he had not foreseen at the outset.

If he waits for the ideal moment, he will never move from his position; he sees that a little madness is needed for the next step.

The warrior uses a little madness. Because - in war and in love - one cannot foresee everything.

Life is such that if you wait to gather 100% of every single detail before you can make a decision, others would have surpassed you. If you waited for the fog to clear, then what you see is what everyone else will also see. Given the perfect picture, anyone sane would make the same correct, best choice. This is exactly how *not* to beat the market.

CEOs often make decisions with incomplete data–and that takes a little madness. It’s about making decisions with the best information possible available at that time. Standing still through inaction is waiting to fail–and I’ll fail from action than inaction.

So when do you put yourself out there and wear your heart on your sleeve?

When to take risks

A warrior of the light, before entering an important combat, asks himself: “up to which point have I developed my skills?”

He knows that the battles fought in the past always provided him with a lesson. However, many of these teachings caused the warrior to suffer more than necessary. More than once, he wasted his time fighting for a lie.

But the victorious do not repeat the same mistake again.

A warrior cannot refuse to fight; but he also knows that he must not risk important feelings, in exchange for benefits which are not worthy of his love.

This is why the warrior only risks his heart from something worthwhile.

If it’s important to you. Put your heart in it. There is no other way. You have to be prepared to suffer the pain if you don’t achieve your goals when you have put yourself out there. If you keep in your back pocket the “Oh, I didn’t really want it that much anyway” card, then you probably would not succeed — your heart is not in this journey. If you want it bad enough, you will be prepared to embrace pain.

If you’re doing something worthwhile and important, accept that there will be others who will stand in your way, just to be spiteful. Be prepared to be stung by arrows shot from behind you.

The best and the worst

A poet says: “the warrior of the light chooses his enemies.”

The warrior knows what he is capable of. He does not need to go around telling others of his qualities and virtues. Nevertheless - just like in the Old West - someone always comes along wanting to prove that he is the better man.

The warrior knows there is no “better” or “worse”: each has the gifts necessary for his individual journey.

But some people insist. They provoke, offend, do everything they can to irritate him. This is when then warrior’s heart says: “do not accept the insults, they will not increase your ability. You will tire unnecessarily.”

A warrior of the light does not waste his time listening to provocations; he has a destiny to fulfill.

Don’t waste your time battling idiots. Time is your competitive advantage. Keep your eye on the prize and off the distractions thrown your way. As you succeed, you might feel lonely. It’s lonely at the top. Are you ok with that? Mediocrity loves company. Do you stay back and hang out with everyone else, or do you charge forward all alone?

Moving forward

The warrior of the light does not always have faith. There are times when he does not believe in anything at all.

And he asks his heart: “Will all the effort be worthwhile?”

But the heart remains silent. And the warrior must decide for himself.

So he seeks an example. And he remembers that Jesus endured something similar - in order to live the human condition in all its fullness.

“Take this cup away from me,” said Jesus. He too lost heart and his courage, but he did not stop.

The warrior of the light remains faithless.

But he moves forward nevertheless, and his faith will return.

Don’t stop moving. Courage is not the absence of fear, it’s acting in spite of fear (quoting Carly Fiorina–another role model of mine). And what if you are wrong? What if you fall flat on your face in front of everybody? And what if you just do foolish things by accident?

Belonging to the world

The warriors of the light maintain the glint in their eyes.

They are in the world, are part of the lives of others, and begin their journey with neither a bag nor sandals. Often they are cowardly. They do not always act correctly.

The warriors of the light suffer for useless things, act niggardly, and sometimes believe they are incapable of growing. They frequently think they are unworthy of any sort of blessing or miracle.

The warriors of the light are not always sure about what it is they are doing here. They often stay up all night, thinking their lives have no meaning.

This is why they are warriors of the light. Because they err. Because they question. Because they seek a reason - and they will surely find it.

From the Paulo Coelho blog.

Warrior of the Light: A Manual Warrior of the Light: A Manual

Update — More from Paulo’s blog:

Every warrior of the light has been afraid to enter a combat.

Every warrior of the light has betrayed and lied in the past.

Every warrior of the light has lost faith in the future.

Every warrior of the light has trodden a path which was not his own.

Every warrior of the light has suffered because of unimportant things.

Every warrior of the light has doubted that he is a warrior of the light.

Every warrior of the light has failed in his spiritual obligations.

Every warrior of the light has said yes when he meant no.

Every warrior of the light has hurt someone he loved.

That is why he is a warrior of the light:

He has endured all this, and not lost the hope to improve.

The Warrior of the Light isn’t superman. The Warrior of the Light is an everyday person who made the conscious choice, to be. The Warrior of the Light is only, human.

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