Bushido Code-The Warrior's Way of Life

Get Organized and Create More Quality Time

 Do you find yourself feeling tense and anxious for no apparent reason? I made a commitment to myself several years ago to try and determine what was causing me stress, and I finally realized that I was feeling chaos from my external environment. Imagine-my external world was causing my internal world to be confusing and chaotic. There’s an interesting connection between having a clean, uncluttered living space and having more clarity and focus mentally. There is a profound psychological thread that binds all areas of your existence into one distinctive unit. A messy house trashed with useless clutter is an abstract representation of many lives – also muddled with unnecessary debris that needs to be regrouped, set aside, hidden out of sight or, better yet, disposed of completely. Wasted thoughts, wasted energy and wasted time all add up to wasted money.

Create Harmony in Your Living Space

 Part of the Zen philosophy includes letting go of materialism and not being attached to things, and to focus on self-reliance. The Book of the Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi talks about “The Way of Walking Alone”, and lists several steps to maintain this perspective including “not carrying antiques handed down from generation to generation”. Though I love history and do enjoy hanging on to memorabilia, additional clutter was taking up to much of my space and time.

When it comes to getting organized, we’re our own worst enemies. We keep things because we persuade ourselves we’ll need them—even if we haven’t used them in five years and don’t quite know where we’ve put them. There seems to be a security factor in just knowing they’re around… somewhere.

What a great metaphor this is for mental hoarding. We hang on to habits we learn from our parents and grandparents, and much of our negative self-talk is learned from internalizing the comments of other people in our life. Certainly, it’s important to honor your parents and feel a sense of pride in your roots but self-reliance means we must become independent and confident with ourselves and what we represent. Security is not found in a dusty wooden chest tucked away in the corner of the attic, harmony is found when the chest is emptied of it’s contents and the air can flow freely through the inside of the box. By cleaning our external world of junk, we are able to cleanse our internal world (meaning our cluttered minds) and let go of the mental junk.  In any event, the day I decided to get rid of my “stuff” was an experience that I’ll never forget.

Japanese Clean

I’ve always been drawn toward Japanese culture because if it’s simplicity. The Japanese home is spacious and simple with objects and furniture that have a purpose rather than cluttering space. There’s a focus on balancing Yin and Yang, which is something we should pay careful attention to in all aspects of our lives. To learn more about Japanese living and interior design, check out Wade Robbins Ezine article. Japanese style home décor seems to incorporate a few artistic accents and is much more spacious than American style homes. Americans seem to havean attachment to memorabilia and collectibles to a point that we save way too much. It’s important to understand systems for maintaining cleanliness like the 5S system. The 5s philosophy focuses on effective workplace organization and standardized work procedures. It is based on five Japanese words that begin with S.There’s no reason why this workspace system can’t be applied to our living space at home. The Japanese words and there English versions include, Seiri (Sort), Seiton (Set in Order), Seiso (Shine), Seiketsu (Standardize), and Shitsuki (Sustain).

The 5S system helped me to maintain an organized clutter free home and consequently develop a freer more focused mind.

 

A spacious and clean home is not only visually aesthetic but also translates to a harmonious mind and spirit.

Begin to Simplify Your Life

Exercise: Clean your Home to a Level of  Japanese Clean

Start with one room and in one section at a time, so you don’t become overwhelmed. For instance, the top of a bureau or a closet are a great starting point. Take a large trash bag and fill the bag with anything that you have not used in more than six months. Survey the surface areas for memorabilia that’s taking up too much space. Is the closet filled with boxes that you haven’t opened for over a year? Do you know what’s in the boxes? Have you missed anything or did you forget you owned these items? Do you have a pile of old shoes you’ll never were again sitting in the dark corner of the closet?

Pick-up one item or piece of clothing from your closet and ask yourself if you really need this object to make you feel good. Does it have a purpose? I made a conscious effort to try and keep things that only have a purpose.  When our space is open and free of material objects that have no purpose or true meaning, we have fewer distractions and find a renewed energy.

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.

If you liked this blog post, please leave a comment. Thank you.

“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.)

 Identifying with the Hero

Imagine yourself sitting in front of a big screen TV with surround sound booming on a couch so comfortable that it feels as if your body is sinking into a cloud. Buttered popcorn coats your fingertips with each swallow, and you grab another handful from the big bowl while absorbed in the action of your favorite movie. Who is your favorite character and what personality traits do you admire the most? If everything is harmonious with this character, can you relate? 

Have you watched the movie The Last Samurai? Tom Cruise plays the character Captain Nathan Algren. This character was someone that I could relate to because he was not perfect but his soul held the code of the warrior. I felt his pain while watching this heroic army captain face his inner fears and overcome alcoholism to find his true warrior spirit among the Samurai of Japan. He never gave up, never caved-in.

For most people their favorite character has a strong and weak side to their personality-they are human! We discover that this character accepts his weakness and faces challenge with the highest level of courage. We relate to his inner turmoil and feel his pain. From the comfort and security of your home, you see he is not perfect-his face covered with dirt and blood, he has torn clothes, and he looks deep inside himself to find the courage and faith to persevere.

There are technological advancements today that challenge us to increase the speed of communication and getting a job done. We have become so dependent on technology that we demand results and have a reduced tolerance for slow people. Our daily lives are filled with stimulation and we seek fulfillment from computers, cell phones, and video games and spend less time reading books. Children are becoming lazy and impatient and lack respect for adults. We watch the successes of other professional athletes and performers rather than focus on achieving our own success. It seems safer to stay behind the four walls of our living room where there are no real threats. It seems safer to watch our heros rather than become a hero. Commercials bombard our minds with daily messages that show images of cool cars and exotic vacations. We hear and see repeatedly that we need to buy new things constantly in order to be fulfilled--the latest and greatest technology. Our employers expect so much of our time that we are confused about who we really are and what we represent. Our ethics are being challenged because we feel the pressure to compete against people rather than work toward camaraderie-a true brotherhood. 

The movie you were watching on your high defenition TV is now over and the credits scroll down the screen. You look at the bottom of the bowl that sits on your lap to see a few lone kernels stuck in a layer of hardened butter. You are full and your butt hurts from having spent so much time in front of the television. You feel empowered to fight the world but are not sure how or why. Why are you so draw to this character and not the person who snaps his fingers and everything falls into place?

Look deep inside yourself because you want to be this character. I desire to be this character. Instinctively we know we are this character. This character represents the Warrior and his way of life.

We can all be this character if we understand his passion and his path-the Warrior’s Way of Life. The samurai were true warriors and followed the Bushido Code. We desire to offer this blog to those who want to achieve goodwill and integrity and learn to live by the code. People who want to live a more ethical and fulfilling life. Life is a journey that will test our courage and perseverance. By developing compassion and a desire to do what is right--we can all enjoy the journey together.