Learning to be a Warrior
July 29, 2018This was first published in Affinity Magazine but the themes feel like they are worth re-iterating!
Learning to be a Warrior!
The word warrior is one we all l know and will probably assume, correctly, that it is a word that means a fighter, a soldier, a combatant of some type. But hopefully not many of us will ever know physical fighting in today’s society. I came across a definition in the urban dictionary which seemed to be much more apt.
“Warrior – a person who beyond all obstacles still manages to be successful. A warrior will often be troubled in life but will persevere to the end.”
While not many of us will know real combat almost all of us will have times when we need to be a warrior to overcome a range of trouble or obstacles and continue to live a life that is happy, fulfilling and successful.
So what is it that makes a warrior – whilst every warrior is an individual there are characteristics that they share and if we try to develop these ourselves then there should be nothing stopping us from having a year that is happy, satisfying and successful, but of course it won’t be without some struggle and hard work.
They Know what is Important
This may be different for different people, though I suspect there will also be a lot of similarities – things like family, friends, achieving career goals and of course enjoying life. In every kind of struggle there is a purpose, a clear idea of what the good outcome would be and that can only be the case when you know what is important to you.
They don’t let failure (or fear of failure) stop them
Everyone will experience something that they could call failure, either at work, in business, in study or in relationships. It happens but the characteristic shared by warriors is that it doesn’t stop them. The failure is far less important that our reaction to it. There will always be an option to give up but there is also an option to keep trying. Many people who are successful say that it is often the learning that has come though failure that helps them in the end to be successful.
They take personal responsibility
It can be very easy to blame personal circumstances on other people or on ‘things’ that have happened. Of course we can’t control every aspect of life Things will happen that aren’t what we’d wish for, people can behave in ways we don’t like. But we can’t control that. What we can control are our responses to those things or that behaviour. If ever you find yourself blaming your personal situation on others then take a minute and consider what your own responses might be contributing to the situation.
They appreciate what they have
Having goals and desires that you want to achieve is an important part of success BUT looking forward and working towards things doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate what we do actually have at the moment. A mind set of gratitude is often a characteristic of those who are successful in both the worlds of business and life.
They value themselves and others
Valuing yourself is understanding the true worth you have -essentially it stops you being treated like a doormat and in business, social circles and relationships this is undoubtedly important. It also means that you know your own worth and that you take the time to look after and invest in yourself. In many ways valuing ourselves is the starting point for valuing others. Some people seem to think that valuing ourselves somehow puts others down but that is far more likely to happen by someone who doesn’t value themselves and has a low self-esteem – their value may well come from seeing themselves as superior so inevitably they put others down. In fact warriors are the people who will rejoice in the success of others- they are happy in their skin and have no need to feel bitter or resentful about others success and achievements.
They don’t give up
If you read about many successful people, entrepreneurs, athletes or leaders, they share a view that what marks them as different is simply that they didn’t give up – though many of them have faced challenges and may have almost given up they somehow summoned the strength to keep going. Strength is not just a physical thing it can be emotional as well, an attitude of mind. And our ability to keep going depends not only on our strength but on our motivation and in some ways how much we want whatever it is we are striving for.
So if you want to be a warrior it is all about having a warrior mind set. That is something that can be developed, as humans we are adaptable and resilient so as we go through life we change. Often the times of greatest challenge are the times when we change the most. So don’t be afraid of the challenge be prepared to chase your dreams, rising to challenges as they present themselves.
