Choices

When people ask me to define love, I say, "Love is like handing someone a gun, having them point it at your heart, and trusting them to never pull the trigger." (Sponge Bob)

When they ask me why I laugh at my mistakes and even write them with pride in my blogs, I say, "I'm not crazy. I just don't give a damn!" (Daffy Duck)

When one time I was conducting a group activity, a student asked what road sign I love the most, I said, "I like dead end signs. I think they're kind. They at least have the decency to let you know you're going nowhere…" (Bugs Bunny)

And when for the nth time a friend would ask me what do I get from writing, I'm not even sure if there are good old souls out there visiting my site, I just smile and say, "Kung gusto mong maging manunulat, eh di magsulat ka. Simple." (Bob Ong)

And last night when Eva said she wants to quit from her work because nobody believes in her, her boss got mad at her, she doesn't even have friends at her agency, and she's crying like hell, I said, "Either you stay to prove your worth or you quit and just show them you're a loser, you have to strive for your happiness." (MY original)

My CHOICES: I remained believing in love. I continued spicing up my mistakes and rewriting my life, accepting failure but keep on dreaming until words would fade into thin air.

Oct 24, 2007

Lessons from Warrior of the Light: A Manual

If I have finished The Pilgrimage in almost a month, I have completed Warrior of the Light in almost a week. This is not because I liked the latter more than the first but because time was extravagant with me this week. It doesn’t mean however that I have lesser work this time because I assume it is doubled due to the upcoming accreditation. The reason was: There is traffic everywhere these days! And last night was a tragic night for me because the bus I loaded in waited for almost an hour last night just to pack the bus with passengers. Then after a kilometer away from the station, a police patrol ran after the vehicle for not having flashers (Duh! Whatever that means!). Everyone in the bus was restless. I was grunting like hell. I was hungry. It was almost nine in the evening and traffic is still building up. So is heat. Then a passenger was smoking insensitively like he was the only creature in that side of the planet. An old woman yelled at him and he yelled back. The nerve! Some passengers were also throwing some satirical statements that the police was just worried his finances won’t suffice the upcoming Christmas season that is why he needs to make some money (Pangongotong!). Nice, eh!

But before my stomach get those bruises from ulcer, I opened a biscuit and started chewing like it was the most delicious meal I ever had. Then I realized, I had no water, so I stopped. I opened my book instead and read for all I care I almost finished the book. So this morning, I had only a dozen pages to read. Alas! I’m done. And so I write…

The best part of the book?

Every passage is important. It pictures the entirety of being a Warrior of the Light, fighting the good fight, searching… seizing his dreams, conquering it and living his Personal Legend as an important part of the universal history.

Let me count the ways:

1. A warrior of the Light knows that he has much to be grateful for.
2. All the world’s roads lead to the heart of the Warrior.
3. A warrior of the Light does not rely on strength alone; he makes use of his opponent’s energy, too.
4. He never resorts to trickery.
5. The Warrior sometimes fights with those he loves.
6. He believes that “To persevere is favorable.”
7. He also knows that certain moments repeat themselves.
8. A Warrior of the Light is never predictable.
9. Warriors always have a certain gleam in their eyes.
10. The Warrior does not worry that, to others, his behavior might seem quite mad.
11. He also chooses his enemies.
12. The moment that he begins to walk along, the Warrior of the Light recognizes the Path.
13. The universe is going to help the Warrior.
14. He carefully studies the position that he intends to conquer.
15. He knows his own faults, but also knows his qualities.
16. The Warrior of the Light knows that no one is stupid and that life teaches everyone.
17. Every Warrior felt afraid of going into battle.
18. The Warrior listens to the words of certain thinkers.
19. He does not however postpone making decisions.
20. A Warrior knows that his best teachers are the people whom he shares the battlefield.
21. He too shares his world with the people he loves.
22. The Warrior of the Light meditates.
23. He knows that he must act, but he must allow room for the Universe to act too.
24. He is also a victim of some injustice; he usually tries to be alone, in order to show his pain to others.
25. A warrior of the Light needs love.
26. He knows that it is impossible to live in a state of complete relaxation.
27. He manages to balance Rigor and Mercy.
28. He sometimes behaves like water, flowing around the obstacles he encounters.
29. For the Warrior of the Light, there are no abstractions.
30. He has the qualities of a rock.
31. He however knows when the enemy is stronger.
32. A Warrior of the Light is never indifferent to injustice.
33. He is never cowardly.
34. A Warrior is never in a hurry.
35. He needs both patience and speed.
36. A Warrior often loses heart.
37. But he keeps his heart free of any feelings of hatred.
38. The Warrior remembers the past.
39. He also knows the importance of intuition.
40. The warrior of the Light sits around a fire with his companions.
41. The Warrior is free.
42. To engage in any activity, the warrior needs to know what to expect, how to achieve the objective and whether or not he is capable of carrying out the proposed task.
43. The Warrior of the Light pays attention to small things because they can severely hamper him.
44. He though does not always have faith.
45. But he knows that no man is an island.
46. In the intervals between battles, the Warrior rests.
47. The Warrior of the Light knows that everyone is afraid of everyone else.
48. For the Warrior, there is no such thing as an impossible love.
49. The Warrior of the Light recognizes the silence that precedes an important battle.
50. He is a believer.
51. He has learned that it is best to follow the light.
52. The warrior is always trying to improve.
53. A Warrior of the Light is reliable.
54. He knows that there are occasional pauses in the struggle.
55. A warrior knows that an angel and a devil are both competing for his sword hand.
56. Whenever the Warrior draws his sword, he uses it.
57. Sometimes Evil pursues the Warrior of the Light, and when it does, he calmly invites it into his tent.
58. He unwittingly takes a false step and plunges into the abyss.
59. The warrior of the Light behaves like a child.
60. A responsible Warrior is one who has proved able to observe and to learn.
61. A Warrior of the Light cannot always choose his battlefield.
62. The Warrior is terrified when making important decisions.
63. He accepts his Personal Legend completely.
64. A Warrior never accepts what is unacceptable.
65. The Warrior of the Light never forgets the old saying: The good little goat doesn’t bleat.
66. A sword may not last very long, but the Warrior of the Light must.
67. A Warrior is always vigilant.
68. He does not keep company with those who wish to harm him.
69. At the beginning of his struggle, the Warrior says: “I have dreams.”
70. The Warrior of the Light has the sword in his hands.
71. He never falls into the trap of the word “freedom”.
72. Yesterday’s pain is the Warrior of the Light’s strength.
73. He always has a second chance in life.
74. He is as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove.
75. A Warrior of the Light does not accept gifts from his enemy.
76. Often, warriors find their lives meaningless.
77. He is now walking from his dream.
78. Like the fighter, the Warrior is aware of his own immense strength; he never fights with anyone who does not deserve the honor of combat.
79. He remembers the five rules of combat set down by Chuan Tzu – faith, companions, time, space and strategy.
80. He rarely knows the result of a battle when the battle is over.
81. Each Warrior of the Light contains within him the spark of God.
82. Sometimes the Warrior feels as if he were living two lives at once.
83. The Warrior of the Light needs time to himself.
84. He is also wary of people who think they know the path.
85. He knows he needs armor after he has learned how to use the sword.
86. A Warrior trusts other people because, first and foremost, he trusts himself.
87. He views life with tenderness and determination.
88. With confidence, he open the door of life presented to him.
89. A Warrior of the Light practices powerful exercise for inner growth.
90. He also knows the power of word.
91. The Warrior knows the value of persistence and of courage.
92. A Warrior knows when a battle is worth fighting.
93. He too knows how to lose.
94. The Warrior of the light knows that when somebody wants something, the whole Universe conspires in their favor.
95. When the Warrior takes on a commitment, he keeps his word.
96. When he wins the battle, the Warrior celebrates.
97. A Warrior of the Light shares with others what he knows of the path.
98. He has learned that God uses solitude to teach us how to live with other people.
99. He gives before he is asked.
100. The Warrior tries to enjoy the small everyday things of life.
101. A Warrior knows that a great dream is made up of many different things, just as the light from the sun is the sum of its millions of rays.
102. When he is forced to perform the same task several times, the Warrior uses this tactic and transforms work into prayer.
103. When it comes to treachery, he is implacable.
104. A Warrior does not go into battle without knowing the limitations of his ally.
105. A Warrior of the Light has no regrets, because regrets can kill.
106. He uses common sense to judge not the intentions of an action but its consequences.
107. A Warrior knows that everything a person does has enduring consequences.
108. And he never judges someone else’s suffering.
109. So the Warrior fights the Good Fight and he helps others, even though he does not quite understand why.
110. The Warrior of the Light concentrates on the small miracles of daily life.
111. He knows that the most important words in all languages are the small words.
112. A Warrior also knows that the fool who gives advice about someone else’s garden is not tending his own plants.
113. No one is entirely good or evil; that is what the Warrior thinks when he has a new opponent.
114. A Warrior knows that the ends do not justify the means.
115. The Warrior knows about the “waterfall effect”.
116. Then the Warrior of the Light thanks his traveling companions, takes a deep breath and continues on, laden with memories of an unforgettable journey.


And thus, all that has been mentioned has inspired me to start an e-book inspiring women of all ages to take a step in living their own Personal Legends and shed their rays for all to behold as a Warrior of the Light.

2 comments:

askin said...

Beautiful words. Sound principles.
Askin Ozcan
Author of SMALL MIRACLES
ISBN 1598001000
http://www.outskirtspress.com/smallmiracles
Available at major internet bookshops.

Anonymous said...

Hello!
I'm also a big Paulo Coelho's fan and I don't know if you heard about his blog
http://www.paulocoelhoblog.com
I've started as a fan and now I'm collaborating with him and thought that you would like to enter his universe.
Check the blog, if you want, or subscribe to his newsletter
http://www.warriorofthelight.com/engl/index.html
You'll see a community of warriors of light sharing ideas, dreams and most importantly following their personal legend.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"The glory of the world is transitory, and we should not measure our lives by it, but by the choice we make to follow our personal legend, to believe in our utopias and to fight for our dreams. "

See u there and have a great day!
Aart