The Way of the Warrior: An Ancient Path to Inner Peace

by Erwin Raphael McManus

The way of the warrior is a path toward ownership. The warrior takes responsibility for their life, their actions, and the world around them. The warrior knows that they own nothing, so they can risk everything. The warrior knows that the measure of their success is not in the outcome but in the intention. The courage to face the challenge is the victory. The warrior is not afraid to be exposed by defeat. Defeat does not diminish the heart of the warrior, for they do not fight for their own fame but for the freedom of others. If your view of yourself is greater than what reality can bear, you will choose to protect yourself from great risks because you cannot bear the blunt-force trauma of failure. If you know that failure is a temporary condition and believe hard work will see you through, you’re more likely to take bigger risks. If your practice in life is taking great risks, you are all too familiar with the impact of failure. Ironically, if failure is not an option, neither is taking risks. Failure is an inevitable ingredient of success. And because you know that, you know that failure is not terminal.