心の平安は嵐を静めます
Kokoro no heian wa arashi wo shizumemasu
Inner peace will quiet any storm
A Warrior Strives For Peace
On this day in 1945, Japan formally surrendered ushering in the end of WWII. Prior to that day, the Japanese were still vacillating between fighting or surrendering. Many military leaders didn’t want to face the humiliation of surrendering and urged Emperor Hirohito not to give in. After days of hotly contested debate, the Emperor declared, “Peace was preferable to destruction.” Two weeks before the formal surrender on this day, the Emperor went on the radio and said, “We have resolved to pave the way for a grand peace for all the generations to come by enduring the unendurable and suffering what is insufferable.” In his speech, he was preparing the Japanese people for the rigors that come with changing to a more peaceful way of life. Many wept upon not only hearing his words but also upon hearing his voice for the first time. In Japanese culture, as a commoner, it was considered a great honor to even be within earshot of hearing the Emperor’s voice. Inner peace is the goal of all martial arts. It seems odd that a person seeking to learn to destroy would want peace but that is the dichotomy of training - its lethalness must be balanced out with peacefulness. The lethalness requires it be practiced with self-discipline. With discipline, one learns restraint and with restraint we come to realize the power of inner peace. When one is at peace, there is no need for war. It takes infinitely more power and inner strength to show restraint than it does to levy destruction and that is why the Emperor advocated for the perseverance for peace. When we have inner peace, we are calm and peaceful and that peace gives us the power to face any adversity and that is why a warrior strives for peace.
Today’s goal: Learn to validate yourself by creating a validation list of all the things you have achieved or accomplished. Review it daily or whenever you need a boost.