Motivating Matters

    As 2022 superseded and the new year replaced it, I began making goals and plans for 2023. I made a few different categories for my goals and plans: financial, health, learning, and spiritual, in no particular order. Then, I went on to list things under each category that I wanted to accomplish this year. While working on the list I began to wonder why a new year causes so many of us to reevaluate our circumstances and seek improvement?  For most, myself included, I would imagine creating these goals and plans had future success in mind. What do we associate success with? At least for myself, I would associate success with being happy, based on what I see when I look at the world today. We’re told that the only way to be happy is to be successful. “Peaceful Warrior” by Dan Millman challenges that statement and contains numerous applicable lessons and practices that can help us be happy every day.

    One of my goals for 2023 is to read twenty books. Over the holidays, my brother came home and gave me a multitude of books to read. He told me I should start with the “Peaceful Warrior” by Dan Millman, so I didn’t think much of it, and decided to jump right in. After finishing it, I can say with certainty that it was a great book to read to start the new year. I won’t be giving a full summary of it because I want you to read it for yourselves, but I will go over some of the key takeaways. I know the new year has already started and most of you probably made your goals, plans, and resolutions, but I guarantee you will take something away from reading this book. It has transformed my viewpoint on life, and clarified what’s truly important.

To give you some context, the book is about a talented gymnast named Dan Millman who during his junior year in college at California Berkeley, encounters a nameless, silver-haired, gas station attendant. Dan is intrigued by this man and his supernatural knowledge and abilities, thus nicknaming him “Socrates.” He begins to visit him regularly to ask questions and learn from him. Socrates ultimately shows Dan how to be a peaceful warrior through numerous techniques, experiences, and conversations. It isn’t until years later that Dan finally comes to the realization of what Socrates was trying to show him all  along.

A few of the key takeaways from the book include:

     1. Cut out the mind.

    In a world where everyone is worried about what’s in store for their future, and caught up in past mistakes, or how great things used to be, we fail to focus on the present moment. Our mind is what causes us to worry and stress. Our mind is what keeps us up at night thinking. Our mind creates the illusions that we fall victim to. As Socrates puts it so perfectly, “‘Mind’ is an illusory outgrowth of basic cerebral processes. It is like a tumor. It comprises all the random, uncontrolled thoughts that bubble into awareness from the subconscious… Mind is an obstruction, an aggravation… I have no use for the mind.” If we are able to cut out the mind, we unlock a vivid state of consciousness, and are able to focus more easily.

    You’re probably thinking (too much), okay that sounds great, but I can’t just turn those thoughts off. How is it possible to cut out the mind? The key is to observe yourself. The best way to do that is through the practice of meditation. Notice how I said practice because it needs repetition over an extended period for there to be any significant progress. Start by finding a quiet place for just ten minutes each day, and during that time focus on deep breathing. Breathing in through your nose, and out through your mouth. When your thoughts drift, bring the focus back to your breath. Over time, you will begin to notice yourself at peace with how things are, and in control of your thoughts.

2. Master self-discipline

    Prior to meeting Socrates, Dan is rather wishy-washy in a lot of areas of his life. He struggles to control his sexual desires, emotions, and mind. I will be the first to say I struggle with these tendencies toward immediate gratification just like many of you, I’d imagine. It is human nature to look for the short cut to happiness, but these impulses do not lead to lasting happiness. Rather, they become destructive and demoralizing habits that can have negative impacts in the long term. Once it becomes habit, we lose our emotional attachment and any connections to our senses that desire may have previously had. We must separate ourselves from our emotions and desires to gain control over them, instead of being controlled by them. The best way to master self-discipline of our desires is through abstinence.

    In the book, Socrates challenges Dan to do a week fast from food and sex. In regards to the food fast he says, “The pleasure you gain from eating, Dan, is limited to the taste of the food and the feeling of a full belly. You must learn to enjoy the entire process – the hunger beforehand, the careful preparation, setting an attractive table, chewing, breathing, smelling, tasting, swallowing, and the feeling of lightness and energy after the meal. Finally, you can enjoy the full and easy elimination of the food after it is digested. When you pay attention to all these elements, you’ll begin to appreciate simple meals; you won’t need as much food.” I think a lot of us can relate to Dan. We eat because we don’t know what else to do or we are bored or we rely on food to tame our emotions. If we don’t eat we become agitated, and when we eat too much we become lazy. Focus on being intentional and present in the whole eating process in order to not only enjoy the food more, but realize the reason you do it. Fasting is applicable in many areas of our lives. Separate yourself from your temptations and analyze what you’re doing them for. Are you having sex with someone because you love them? Or is it because you can’t control your desires, and only see them as a means to satisfaction? What are you looking at social media for? If you have control over your desires, you will have control over your life.

3. Find a mentor

    This takeaway is pretty self explanatory, but Dan would have never been a peaceful warrior if he hadn’t continued to learn from Socrates, and nurture that relationship. It took the majority of Dan’s life, even with a mentor, to realize that he never had to search, rather he just had to be a peaceful warrior. There is no initiation or degree you get to officially become a peaceful warrior. You either are or you aren’t. It’s important that we find that someone in our lives that other people might think is crazy because they’re never worried and don’t get carried away by their emotions. We are told to look for mentors for our careers, which is important as well, but this mentor should be separate from that. More of a spiritual mentor.

These are just a few of the things I took away from reading “Peaceful Warrior” by Dan Millman. Once again, it was a great book to read to start 2023 because it reshaped the intentions behind my goals and aspirations. By no means should the lesson be that we should give up on our goals because they don’t mean anything. Instead, we should use the techniques and practices of a peaceful warrior when pursuing them. Being happy and thankful for how things are in the present moment allows us to create plans and pursue goals more wholeheartedly. It removes the worries we have about not achieving these goals and makes us realize that each day we’re blessed with is another opportunity.

If you’re interested in reading the full book here is a link.

I appreciate you reading this post and hope this showed you why Motivating Matters. Feel free to comment any thoughts or feedback about the article!

Follow Motivating Matters on Instagram @motivatingmatters_ and Facebook @motivatingmatterss for more motivational content.