A true warrior faces their fears. In the Empire Strikes Back, Luke is instructed to go into the Cave of Evil on Dagobah. Yoda says, “That place is strong with the dark side of the Force. A domain of evil it is. In you must go.” Luke Skywalker asks,”What's in there?” Yoda replies, “Only what you take with you.” Every day we are confronted by illusions which are created by our own fears. In the past, fear helped primitive people to survive because it prevented them from eating strange berries or venturing into dark caves. Fear has a way of creating illusions in our minds which tell us a story which may or may not be true. These illusions or stories keep us from experiencing our lives in a way that fulfills us or makes us happy. In Japanese, an illusion is “kinomayoi” (氣の迷い) or more literally that our “ki (氣) has been tricked.” Nowadays, we are more learned than our primal ancestors and we can use fear in our favor. For the most part, fear is just showing us which direction to go towards or as Marcus Aurelius is famously quoted as saying, “The obstacle is the way.” In training, with every roll, technique or throw, we are learning to face our fears and dispel those illusions which are holding us back. First it’s joining a dojo, then it’s rolling, next it’s stronger opponents or difficult techniques. Then, at some point, we realize that the only thing which is really holding us back is the “fear” that we created in our minds or the story that we have given into which is not the reality at all. The reality is that nothing is really all that bad and that most things are surmountable with practice. Once we get good at confronting that which confronts us in the dojo, we take that courage and focus its lens on other aspects of our lives. This is how training becomes a positive influence on our lives and makes every aspect better. Buddhist monk, Ryokan said, "When you have a problem, face it; when you are sick, face it; when death stalks you, face it.” The only way to know if something is an illusion in our minds or not is to face it. Fear is the way toward change and that’s why a true warrior faces their fears.
Today’s goal: “Don't shrink. Don't puff up. Stand your sacred ground.” - Author Brene Brown
Watch this video to better understand standing up to your fears