Everybody wants to be a warrior, but nobody in the 21st century really knows what that means. Toughness, as I’ve talked about in another article on this blog, is the essence of the warrior archetype. Toughness will look different in the domain of school than in the domains of sports, family, and work, but the basic concept remains the same. Toughness can be developed with various disciplines, three of which feature large on this blog–fitness, fasting, and meditation.
Another key to improve toughness is love. In fact, I would argue that every discipline seeks to increase love in one form or another, whether that be love of self, love of others, or love of the Creator. Love makes us tougher because it gives us something to fight for. How many parents are driven by a desire to give their children the best life possible? How many people refuse to give up because of their friends, family members, or significant other?
This observation is why I can appreciate the wisdom of the Lakota tribe on how to become a true warrior. At the core of their definition lies love for other people. Here is the transcript I created of a short video in which a Lakota elder articulates what it means to be a true warrior. You can find the video on YouTube embedded below.
Transcript: Being a warrior isn’t about taking lives. Being a warrior isn’t about showing strength. Being is a warrior is not showing how much knowledge you have. Being a warrior is learning how to cry. Learning how to cry because when a man learns how to cry, he’s learning understanding. He’s learning how to understand. Because when a man cries, compassion starts to grow. Being compassionate, loving all children, respecting everybody, and protecting your family.