Learn to Think Like a Warrior

In 1993, at the age of 19, I got a tattoo on my back. I chose some Chinese lettering that says “The Warrior.”

I fancied myself a fighter, a battler who would stop at nothing to succeed—to win.

As I look around at the self-help, motivational zealots of today, I can’t help but notice how many who preach “Warrior-ism” have it all wrong. I know this because back in 1993 I too had it wrong.

Ancient Warriors weren’t into “hustle.” They had no interest in “the grind,” “kicking ass,” or “burning the midnight oil.” Instead, they were cerebral, deliberate and cunning when it came to their efforts or time. Their deadliness was based on efficiency and optimization of energy.

These warriors were philosophical about life and profoundly connected to the notion that quick, smart, hard and focused intentions would yield vastly greater success than non-stop striving to accomplish primarily nonessential work.

They considered more than they acted. Calculated more than they executed. And planned more than they carried out.

I’d be willing to bet that if you were to truly examine your life—deeply and objectively—you may just find that you’re “FILLED” more than you are “FULFILLED.”

So, in honor of the turning of the calendar, I offer you this food-for-thought…

Fight Club—for all its machismo and testosterone—was truly a beautiful movie (and book) that was much more metaphoric than many realize. It certainly was more “mental” than it was “physical.”

My favorite line came from the cult hero Tyler Durden (played brilliantly by Brad Pitt), “It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.”

This quote doesn’t apply to our material things in the real world. It implies a deeper truth that relates to the immaterial things in our thought-based world.

Lose not your material possessions….
…. Merely your attachment to them.
Reduce not your desires….
…. Just your belief that they are needs.
Worry not about your definitions of self….
…. Simply the limits they place on your potential.

I purposefully left this article short because I want the brevity of the message to sink in. I want it to hit you hard and force you to think.

And maybe, hopefully even, you will start looking at your next 12 months in a very, very different way. Not all resolutions need to be made right at the New Year—change can begin at any time. Happy 2015.

Brian Grasso is a true Renaissance man. Grasso is a published poet, a former CEO of a large organization within the fitness industry, a motivational speaker, and a former performance coach. He also sports quite the collection of amazing ink. Over the next couple of months Grasso will be writing articles for Inkedmag.com sharing his knowledge and insight. Check out his first post here, and his second one here.