Bushido Code-The Warrior's Way of Life

Eveyone Pays the Toll on The Road of Life

Life is a toll road and everyone pays the toll in one way or another.  What this means is, in life, everything you do has its price.  Every action or choice you make throughout your existence has consequences or results that have a direct impact on who you are and the outcome of your life. The choices you make determine how you pay the toll on the road of life.

 Let me give you a few examples.

 Two Types of Lifestyle Choices and How Each Pays the Toll

 The “Couch Potato”

 Take the stereotypical “couch potato.” This person has a sedentary job, comes home with fast food, and watches the television until it’s time to go to bed. They’re overweight, get no exercise and they have no motivation, drive or ambition.

 This type of person pays their toll in several ways:

1. They squander their time. The time we’re allotted to spend on this earth is finite. We cannot buy, barter or steal any more time. Once it is used, we can’t get it back. The best we can do is to make the most of every moment. The couch potato wastes all of their time, never realizing its true value.
2. In addition, the person that lives this type of lifestyle pays the toll through poor heath. As I mentioned in my previous post, The Warrior’s Way of Life, one in three Americans are obese. Another study by the National Institute of Health shows that 65% of adults in this country are obese. The list of associated health risks with obesity is long and many of them are life threatening. According to the CDC, an estimated 300,000 premature deaths a year can be attributed to obesity. Some of the risks of obesity are listed below. Click on this link to Anne Collins’ website for more details on these health risks:
   •     Heart Disease
   •     Stroke
   •     Type 2 Diabetes
   •     Cancer
   •     Fatty Liver Disease
   •     Chronic Venous Insufficiency
   •     Deep Vein Thrombosis
   •     Arthritis
   •     Increased Health Risks for Expectant Mother and Baby
   •     Gallbladder Diseas
   •     Premature Death
3. Low self esteem and depression are another way that this type of person can pay the toll. American society places a high emphasis on physical appearance. Many obese people feel isolated and have a more difficult time advancing in their careers. Scientists have also found that excessive weight causes a chemical and hormonal imbalance that can lead to depression.

 The “Go-Getter”

 Now let’s look at the individual at the other end of the spectrum. The Stereotypical “go-getter”. This person typically is physically fit, has a high paying job or owns a successful business, drives a nice car and owns a big house. Most people believe that this type of person is “living the life” and typically has everything handed to them on a silver platter. They don’t believe that this person has ever paid a toll in their life.

 Let me show you how they do:

1. Just like the couch potato, the go-getter also pays the toll with their time. However, they use their time very differently than the couch potato. The go-getter invests their time into education and personal development. This person is generally the “A” student in school, they went to an Ivy League or tier one college, and continue to read, improve and educate themselves after college. Many work 12-15 hours per day! They are usually out of bed by 5:00 a.m. to workout because it’s the only time that fits their busy schedule.
2. Another way the go-getter pays the toll is through hard work and self discipline. They are continually setting goals and taking action to achieve them. They generally have the endurance to persevere where most would give up and quit. As their name suggests, the go-getter realizes that success is never given away, it is earned. Instead of waiting for good things in life to come to them, they go out and get them.

 You Can Choose How to Pay the Toll

 Both of the individuals in these examples have paid the toll in very different ways. The couch potato may have benefited from relaxation early on but was forced to pay the toll after with the price of poor health, low self esteem and an uneventful life. The second paid the toll up front through hard work and discipline and enjoyed success, health and prosperity later. Nevertheless, both paid the toll.

 “Life is a toll road and everyone pays the toll. However, you can choose how to you would like to pay!”

 Personal Action Exercises

• Take a look everyday at the choices you make in life. Decide if this is how you want to pays your toll. If it isn’t, resolve to make the necessary changes to pay the toll on your terms.
• From this day forward, decide exactly what it is you want from your life. Write down your goals and dreams and then decide how much they’re worth to you to achieve them. Then decide how you’ll pay the toll to get them.

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Zen and the Bushido

What separates us from the Japanese Samurai Warriors of the past? The Samurai approached each day as if it were their last. They thought about death often and consequently lived each day with a heightened sense of awareness. They treated people with the utmost respect. If you knew that today was your last, would you initiate arguments with your brother or wife? If you only had 24 hours to live, would you spend your time watching television for hours? Would you complete a task by doing the minimal about of work or would you focus on maximum output to accomplish your goal—to be remembered for contributing something significant? Would you complete a poem, finish a painting, hug your child tightly, say you love them, feel true compassion and maybe help a friend in need.

For me, this philosophy of living as if you were dying doesn’t instill fear but rather an appreciation for each moment as if that moment is your last. In the introduction to The Book of the Five Rings the author discusses how the book is a chronicle of the thoughts and concerns of warriors, and how warriors were able to overcome the “ego” through Zen meditation and a high level of discipline and perseverance. Through Zen meditation, the warriors were only concerned with the elimination of fear, and how to engage in life in a straightforward and unwavering manner.

Facing Fears

It is not until we are able to face our fears with courage and honesty that we will learn to understand what it really means to live right now. It is at this moment that we feel a deep satisfaction and appreciation for the people in our lives and what we see, hear, smell, feel and taste in the moment. We feel a deeper level of compassion for the world and are thankful for life—and we learn to live life by developing a level of faith that helps us to stay focused on the moment and to gradually let go of our “what-if” worry patterns. If the future hasn’t arrived yet and we can’t predict the outcome, then why are we preoccupied with imagining the worst case scenario? We should enjoy the quality of life by focusing on what we have in the present.

Mediation Techniques for Beginners

The practice of Zen includes calming the mind, so thoughts of the past and future do not deprive us of the true-life experience in the here and now. “Some people criticize Zen practice because it is very strict. They say it is too much to pay careful attention to each form.”

Zen is a practice that focuses on living in the present. There are many books written about the art of Zen. All of them have one common theme, which is to completely engross yourself in the activity that you are doing in that moment with focus and a heightened awareness. When we let our minds remain in the moment, we realize there are treasures to be found and an inner peace that feels very natural. We pay attention to details and are better at recalling information, names, dates, and anything that triggers our senses.

One of the best exercises for helping our minds to relax and stay focused on the moment is by learning to meditate. By taking some quiet time every day to relax and practice rhythmic breathing, we learn to trust our natural pulse in harmony with the universe. “In the same way that a river keeps itself clean by staying in motion, let negative thoughts and emotions flow away as quickly as they come.”

Beginners Meditation Tip1: Allow yourself to take 3-5 minutes in the morning before starting your day. Find a quiet comfortable place and sit in a relaxed posture, preferably on a pad or pillow with legs crossed, back straight and hands on top of your knees facing upward. Inhale slowly, allow your breath to fill the lungs and allow your abdomen to expand—like a baby breaths. Hold the breath for a count of three, and then exhale slowly for a count of 10-12 seconds. Repeat this breath three times, while paying attention to the energy flowing through your body. Try to focus on just only your breath. If thoughts come to mind, release them and remain focused on the breath. If you feel anger, negativity or anxiety, then take in a breath and exhale the negativity. I like to think of bright spiritual light when I inhale and imagine when I exhale that I’m letting go negative black energy—like burnt coal or soot.

This is a great way to learn how to meditate consistently, which helps lead to a deeper meditation experience over time.

“Gi”

Be acutely honest
throughout your dealings
with all people. Believe
in justice, not from other
people, but from yourself.
To the true warrior,
all points of view are deeply considered regarding
honesty, justice
and integrity.

The reason why Integrity is the number one virtue is because it’s who you are and what you represent. Everyone you meet judges you on your integrity. Sadly, this is the number one virtue that is the most compromised in today’s society.

Has anyone ever made a promise to you, but never fulfilled the promise? I’ve had people say they’ll call me back yet they never follow-up. Others have shown up 30 minutes late for an appointment without even calling–if they show up at all. How many New Year’s resolutions are distant memories by January 31^st? What kind of impression do you hold of those individuals? You probably don’t respect them at all.

What is Integrity?

Integrity, in it’s simplest and purest form, is about living up to your commitments. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines commitment as:

“‘Commitment’ is used as a broad umbrella term covering many different kinds of intentions, promises, convictions and relationships of trust and expectation.”

In other words, your personal integrity is defined by following through with what you tell people you’ll do. I know that this sounds simple enough, but this can actually be difficult in today’s society for many reasons.

Four Reasons Why People Don’t Maintain a High Level of Integrity

1. People over-commit: Life today is moving at a pace far greater than any other time in our history. In order to keep up, many people are forced to take on more than they can possibly handle. People can’t live up to these expectations because they are over extended.
2. It requires discipline: A lack of discipline will be a subject that will be covered in subsequent blogs. Simply stated having discipline is hard work. You have to plan, remember all of your commitments, and do everything in your power to deliver on the expectations you set based on your commitments’. For many, it is just too much effort.
3. People were never taught: Many people were never educated by their parents or in school about the significance of maintaining their integrity or the importance of being trustworthy. They have a “what’s in it for me” attitude and don’t have a concept of how their actions will impact others.
4. Some people just don’t care: These individuals are out for themselves and you rank a distant second. This type of person will make commitments at the drop of a hat, fully knowing they never intend on living up to them. They are the “excuse” kings and queens. They will always have some reason why they couldn’t follow through. In addition, they usually have someone or something other than themselves to blame. You should avoid these people and refuse to deal with them. Your life will be a lot less frustrating!

Integrity Has Its Rewards

There is no arena where having a high level of integrity is more appreciated than in the workplace. Employees who meet deadlines, show up on time, follow through on all their commitments, and are trustworthy are the ones who move up the ladder with greater ease. Employers trust them with their most important projects and responsibilities. The result is that the employee is of higher value and, therefore, is paid a higher wage.

Personal Action Items

1. Take a moment to look at some areas where having a higher level of integrity would benefit you in your life. Resolve to maintain the highest amount of integrity in all aspects of your life.
2. Bring this high level on integrity to where you work. Perform your current tasks and responsibilities in a diligent, timely manner. Volunteer for the biggest, most high profile projects if you can. Be known as the person who gets things done. However, make sure that you DO NOT OVER COMMIT!
3. From this day forward, strive everyday to:
   1. Always be on time. (If you’re not 15 minutes early, you’re already late!)
   2. Live up to all of your commitments. (If you know you cannot keep a commitment, don’t make it.)
   3. Be trustworthy. (Recognize when people are counting on you. Live up to those expectations.)