Way of the Peaceful Warrior February 19, 2007
Posted by The Probabilist in : [Books], Consciousness, Exercise, Gratitude, Goals, Personal Growth, Philosophy, Purpose , 8 comments
Dan Millman’s Way of the Peaceful Warrior is the first book I’ve read this year that can be labeled as fiction. First published in the early 80s it’s a autobiographical novel blending in the author’s own experiences as well as fiction to remind us of life’s greater purpose and possibilities.
It is the story of Dan, a young gymnast moving to San Francisco for University studies and starting life on his own in ways he could not have imagined. Although very successful in acrobatics, his overall life does not offer any remarkable and memorable moments. Instead, he only seems to find some degree of peace and satisfaction from his training while all the rest is just blending in with indifference, mediocrity and unawareness of what awaits him.
Troubled by a reoccurring dream, he takes off into the night and stops by a 24/7 gas station where he meets an old, but swift man whose words and answers perplex and frustrate Dan. Still quite intrigued of the man’s behaviour, he decides to return to the gas station each night to find out why the old man seems to be the one in his dreams and why he constantly manages to outwit and outperform Dan who is three, four times younger than him.
Slowly but steadily Dan begins to listen to the man’s teachings, whom he calls by the name Socrates. Dan’s gymnast career seems to come to an end when he severely injures his foot, but given the newly awakened spirit, he starts to push his limits to not only start exercising his athletic abilities again, but also to become a master of life and unreasonable happiness. The path of the peaceful warrior doesn’t appear easily, quickly or rationally, and Dan gets to live through quite a number of demanding tasks and tests in order to reach his ultimate calling and be who he is meant to be.
There’s a great message to be found in this book and I enjoyed every page of it. As the tagline goes “A book that changes lives”, I’m inclined to agree with that statement and also recommend this book to anyone of any age. It speaks of the course and meaning of life, how we should relate to different occurrences in our lives and how to face the inevitable destiny we all have to one day. Get your own copy and find out if your level of consciousness is in balance with the way of the peaceful warrior.
(3 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)
Universe of Success January 22, 2007
Posted by The Probabilist in : [Links], Consciousness, Exercise, Food, Health, Personal Growth, Wealth, Work, Blogging , 14 comments
John Hill is a fitness manager and personal trainer in a large sports club in Thailand. Accordingly, his blog touches greatly upon the subject of health related issues, while additionally delving into the realm of how the mind affects physical results and conditions as well. Even though his blogging endeavours are reaching a timeframe of five months, he’s been a keen follower and teacher of personal development for a long time, which goes to show by the constant level of quality that is found in the contents of his entries.
What I like most about his writings is his thoughts on physical exercises, diets, the improvement and healing of the body’s functionality and the different kinds of explanatory articles on what is overrated and what genuinely works in the field of personal health creation. There’s a great amount of experience and practicality shining through his words and given his caring and no-nonsense attitude on providing advice that work, I’ve built up a fair deal of confidence and belief in what he writes. Therefore, given that this area is one that I’m focusing heavily upon in 2007, I’m grateful for all the great tips and hints he’s giving away.
John also occasionally shares stories of real life experiences and examples of what kind of results stem from seriously either neglecting or adapting daily habits that influence the overall balance of living a healthy or unhealthy life. His topics include universal laws, the subconscious mind, wealth creation, career satisfaction, habit building, relationships and the already explained focus on personal health and energy improvement. His entries are fairly longer than the average post length in the blogosphere, which in my opinion deliver very in-depth and comprehensive analyses very seldom leaving any questions hanging in the air.
It’s no surprise, coming from a personal trainer, that he emphasizes sustainability, tenacity and a shift in the mind-set in order to make lasting changes happen. His blog voice is characterized by suggestion, very far from that of demanding or defending. I wouldn’t know about his style in a gym though, but I’m guessing he’s built up for a more demanding attitude on the live scene. Whatever the area of development that currently requires the most attention by you, John is bound to have something useful in his blog database that is of value to you. As usual, here’s the link along with my recommendations.
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