“We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” – Carlos Castaneda
The warrior is a force to be reckoned with and the most feared and dangerous of all character types. They are capable of causing death and destruction to anyone at any time if they so choose, but to be a successful warrior, you must master a few key critical strategies and actively live out the way of the warrior to embody this kind of presence in the world, a presence which as an athlete makes you both feared and respected. Being a warrior takes more than just strength and power to destroy; as you’ll learn, you must learn to contain that power.
In this article, I’ll explain the characteristics of the warrior, why being a warrior is the most important step in your athletic journey, and provide strategies for embodying the warrior so you can dominate on the field.
始めましょう (Let’s begin)
Characteristics of a warrior
When you think about what being a warrior entails, you may think of ferociously intense, blood-hungry Mongols with no regard for human life. Whoever gets in their way is doomed for the grave. This may be true, but the warrior is much more than the results of their sword.
In Carlos Castenda’s book Journey to Ixtlan, he presents the warrior as the person who has disciplined themself to perfect their craft, with control and focus, but when the time is right, they lay it all on the line to accomplish their mission. Willing to die for their cause, they risk their life, but only AFTER having trained themself to be disciplined with their weapon.
Other characteristics of the warrior include emotional control, resilience, and strategic planning. Emotions are signals from the body, just like pain. It’s a protective mechanism that tells you whether you agree or disagree with something happening to you. In high-pressure situations, when the team or your mission is on the line, you cannot allow your emotions to overwhelm you. Warriors acknowledge the emotion and understand its signal but can stay true to their training, with discipline to accomplish the task. Overwhelm will get you and your team killed in war.
Resilience is another key trait for a warrior, as the warrior must fervently face their challenges head-on. Another great quote from Carlos Castaneda says, “The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge while an ordinary man takes everything as a blessing or a curse.” Warriors face their fears head-on and know their challenges are the key to building their skills to prevail against greater and greater enemies. No challenge = no growth = no success.
The last characteristic is strategic planning. For a warrior, you must be able to see beyond the present moment. Just because you see the opposing army doesn’t mean you should charge straight ahead. Lao Tzu says in The Art of War that you must act cunningly and deceitfully. When you’re near, act as if you’re far, and vice versa. War, football, and life are games meant to be played with skillful strategy, and the best warrior knows their enemy and when to attack.
So, now that we know what a warrior is like, let’s explore how to become one.
Becoming a Warrior
Becoming a warrior requires extreme discipline followed by reckless self-abandonment. One without the other will lead to disaster, a polarity like up and down or left and right. Extreme discipline without the courage to wield the skills you’ve learned is like sitting your star player on the bench because you’re afraid he’ll get hurt, and throwing your best player out on the field without any training will injure him or others. His potential will never be fully tapped into.
So, how do you implement these key strategies?
First, the warrior spends all their time training and honing their craft, whatever that may be. They learn the playbook, practice their technique, and actively train their acquired skills in live practice. Their mind is focused on the ultimate aim of becoming who they have been created to be, which translates into consistent actions related to it. Fundamentally, they understand that any deviation from their best is a chance for the enemy to trance in unannounced. They are disciplined because they have to be; their lives are on the line.
What does discipline look like? With infinite options in their world, things to think about, and things to do, the warrior chooses their thoughts and actions with utter precision and strategy. When developing their craft, it’s time to learn, and any external thoughts are quickly eliminated from the mind. They set aside their whims, chasing the next “fun thing,” and focus on what makes them better.
To be disciplined means that you decide that your ultimate goal is much more important than your immediate desires. These immediate desires are the warrior’s worst enemy.
“Discipline comes through self-control. This means that one must control all negative qualities. Before you can control conditions, you must first control yourself. Self-mastery is the hardest job you will ever tackle.” – Napoleon Hill
You must first control your mind and your actions. Without self-control, you allow for laziness. The unkempt eye will yield to the finely attuned one.
After disciplining your mind and your actions to hone and own your craft, you must act with reckless self-abandonment. This means you’re willing to lay it all on the line to accomplish your goals. Whether it’s diving head first into a back wall to catch a deep pop fly, taking out two or maybe three lead blockers so another teammate can make the play, or standing in the pocket with Myles Garrett charging to tackle you, you expose yourself to the possibility of defeat which also opens up the possibility for incredible success. Without the vulnerability that the end result may not be favorable, you’ll never experience your craft expressed to its fullest potential.
Vulnerability is the awareness that your identity is not the most important thing. When you live and play your sport with this attitude of reckless self-abandonment, you fully sacrifice your own self-interests for your connection to something bigger than yourself. Then, without any attachment to the end result, knowing that you did everything you could do, you leave it up to God to take care of the rest.
Whether you win or lose, succeed or fail, it doesn’t matter. A warrior’s mindset, part of their strategic planning skillset, must include the wisdom that even though they didn’t succeed, they are developing skills and becoming who they are destined to become. Failure is only a failure when you fail to keep going. Warriors stay detached from the end result, fighting to ensure they are growing and developing and fighting to become all they can become.
This is God in His fullest glory: discipline and courageous sacrifice in pursuit of their greatest glory.
- “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?'” – Matthew 16:24-26 (NIV)
TAKE ACTION:
Think about the areas in your training or daily routine where you can introduce more discipline and fearless commitment. Set a small, actionable goal for yourself this week that will bring you one step closer to embodying the warrior ethos. Write it down and embrace accountability by telling a close friend or family member.
Being the Warrior
Understanding what it means to be a warrior and how to become one sets the foundation for actively being a warrior. The true challenge lies in embodying the warrior ethos every day. Imagine the life you could lead with disciplined actions and unwavering commitment to your goals and doing, and, as Gen Z-ers say, SENDING IT.
The warrior’s world is a world that opens up to infinite possibilities. No longer do you worry about what could happen, but trust that everything is part of the journey and that the more you experience, the more you become who you could be. You either fight to become more or continue to ; the choice is yours. You are the most powerful person in the world because you have the skills to do incredible damage, the wisdom to know when to use it, and the courage to use it when the result is uncertain.
The warrior ethos is a lifelong pursuit that takes constant vigilance or persistent attention to your discipline and the release of the end result. Once you understand the power held within your hands, you are free from the constraints of your limited mindset. When you practice discipline, EVERYTHING becomes an opportunity for growth; everything becomes explorable and only what was meant for you becomes an option.
Being a warrior means:
Caring for yourself in mind, body, and spirit
Constantly learning
Removing distractions from you finding and accomplish your purpose
Letting go of your ideas about what success looks like in this culture
Letting go of the expectations of the world
Failing often
Expressing vulnerability
Detaching from outcomes
Surrendering to the current of life
TAKE ACTION:
Which of these practices can you start incorporating into your life today? Commit to making one change this week and see how it transforms your mindset and performance.
A warrior is unstoppable because you understand failure is a learning opportunity, an accelerator to your progress of becoming what you could be. You’re great at what you do best and willing to risk it all. Your entire life is pure in heart toward your ultimate purpose, God’s plan for you and only y
Conclusion
The modern world is in desperate need of more warriors. A warrior is disciplined in honing their craft, constantly developing new skills and abilities, and challenging their ability to withstand increasing amounts of stress. They understand their mission and dedicate their life to accomplishing that mission, willing to put it all on the line. A skilled, humble, and selfless warrior instills fear amongst the enemy and is ready to attack at any moment, but self-aware to know their skills and weapons are required to serve the good of those who cannot fend for themselves. They are the ultimate protectors of the good of the world.
The modern world is rife with cultural norms and standards that influence our direction and give us indicators for a well-lived life. It will tell us how to live and that you need certain things to be happy, but the world is more sick and depressed than ever before (1). The world will tell you to be and to do things that do not serve your best interests but serve the interests of a god who only cares about its growth and your ultimate destruction. When we live our lives to serve this god, money, power, and carnal desires, we lose out on the life that was built for us to thrive within.
The warrior’s life is a life worth fighting for. Dedicate your life to fighting for something outrageously massive, and you’ll unlock your true potential, your fullest joy, and God’s greatest glory.
TAKE ACTION:
Reflect on your current path and decide what you can do today to start living the warrior ethos. Are you ready to embrace this journey and become a force to be reckoned with?
Take the first step now and commit to transforming into an indomitable warrior!
References:
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/trend/archive/fall-2023/americas-mental-health-crisis
