Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Basically True Story
by Dan Millman
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We cannot control our thoughts or feelings, only our actions. We cannot do more than one thing at a time; even on our busiest day, at the moment of waking we have one thing to do: open our eyes. Focusing less on having positive thoughts and more on what we can control, such as how we move our arms and legs, will simplify our lives. The author says it’s fine to dream big but that we should start small, be consistent, and then “connect the dots.”
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Author presents live about happiness and being in the moment
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As a young person, Millman pursued the western way of happiness: striving to get rich and acquire possessions. However, he says that we eventually find out that either we’re happy in the present moment or we’re not happy, because future happiness does not exist. He reminds the audience that what is more important than being happy is having purpose, finding connections with others, and accepting emotions other than happiness. Having a warrior spirit is about “viewing life as a form of spiritual weight training.”
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Author speaks about the warrior spirit in talking-head format
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Being a peaceful warrior is about living with a peaceful heart but recognizing that at times we need to roll up our sleeves and have a warrior spirit. In preparation for those times, we are constantly in training, in the school of daily life. Millman suggests saying to ourselves, not as a mantra but in moments when we need it, “I am a peaceful warrior.” He refers to Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King as examples of people who lived with peaceful hearts but had warrior spirits.
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Author appears on The Story Box podcast via video call
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Millman suggests that we not strive for success but instead strive for excellence, which he defines as “a relaxed approach to refining what we do every day.” Whether it’s doing the dishes, walking, or breathing, we can either do it or practice it; doing means simply getting it done while practicing means refining how we do it. Although “mindfulness” has become a popular term, it means nothing more than paying attention. He says learning to ride a unicycle taught him that “everything is difficult until it becomes easy.”
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