Most of my last 20+ years has been trying to figure out how I can make stuff happen (in my favour and with the least amount of energy) and how I can teach others what I have learned.
What works a little, a lot, or not at all.
Last week I talked about building up the Leader within us, and how being a greater leader is ESSENTIAL when it comes to optimizing our experience in life.
The other part of the optimizing-life-and-results-game is not only coming up with the great ideas and insights, but actually acting on them.
You, like me, probably know a lot of ‘great ideas’ people, who spend a lot of time marching on the spot and getting not much actually done.
Ideas are great, but it’s the execution of those ideas that brings them into being.
So…
How do we make sh#t happen, when it takes effort and energy (and sometimes we just don’t feel like doing it)?
Enter left of stage our inner WARRIOR.
Or to be more precise; enter from the very core of our gut, the part of us that gets stuff done…even when we don’t feel like it.
I believe all of us have a Warrior spirit within us.
Unfortunately, sometimes the Warrior needs more prodding and poking to ‘wake it up’.
It’s like our inner Warrior is still working off the after effects of an all-nighter and 3 bottles of red.
What great Leadership is not about
Ideally, we intervene our inner Warrior before they head out on an all night bender.
It is much more effective to put measures in place BEFORE something goes off the rails, rather than trying to fix it up and steer it back on track, after it cuts loose.
Daily maintenance of our inner Warrior is a much better strategy, than trying to awaken our out-of-shape Warrior, when a crisis is almost on us.
So lesson 1, is to work DAILY on our inner Warrior (preferably).
If our inner Warrior is asleep or drowsy – i.e. they are lethargic, full of excuses, unresponsive, belligerent – we may have to metaphorically kick it (which essentially means us) in the butt.
We may have to resort to more drastic measures.
We may have to employ a fitness trainer to get us into shape.
We may have to start on small tasks, and build up to bigger things.
We may need to do some Wim Hof work and truly wake ourselves (and our inner systems) up with some cold water exposure (shocking our system into wakefulness).
We may have to work with a (life) Coach to shake off the cobwebs.
We may need to step back from our busy lives for a day or few and get more clarity on what it is we want and WHY, so we infuse inspirational energy into our inner Warrior.
Just know…
There is a part of you – what I call our inner Warrior – which can, when fed, trained and treated right, help you to not only overcome any obstacles in your way, but help you ascend the highest, most glorious, mountain on your path.
What does it (our inner Warrior) look like?
It is the part of us that gets things done. That makes us show up even when we don’t want to. That is okay with discomfort.
It is the part of us that when we say “no”, people back off. They feel the immovability behind the “no”.
It is the part of us that allows us to keep going after set-back, ridicule, and a lineup of obstacles.
It is the part of us that actually smiles (sometimes wickedly) when faced with a ‘challenge’.
Again, it resides in us all.
To me it is a well of energy, that comes from our gut and when this energy passes through our heart, it makes us become a force of nature, and frankly unstoppable.
(Just writing that gave me the chills, because I knew it to be TRUE)
5 ways on how to support and unleash your Inner Warrior
SUGGESTION 1:
I said it last week, but I am going to say it again. Apparently repetition is the mother of learning. Courage is the essence of our inner Warrior. It is the birthplace and birthright of our inner Warrior. It is in practicing, and leaning into courage, that we align ourselves with our inner Warrior, and the world around us. Courage for me is what happens when the gut and the heart come into synchronicity, coherence and fusion. Which means the power of the gut (creating energy), mixed with the wisdom and love of the heart, creates a Warrior of purpose, passion and authenticity.
SUGGESTION 2:
I talked about the importance of maintenance when it comes to bringing out the best of our inner Warrior. Maintenance means we are ready to go at a moments notice. We are primed and ready for any curve balls that come our way. We are, by default (and by doing the work): healthy, well-rested, organized, clear of mind, clear of purpose, self-aware and fully present. In a practical sense, and with high ROI, is doing daily rituals, and even more specially MORNING RITUALS. The most important of these being movement, meditation and nutrient optimization. If you want to be the person who is ready to go now, at a high level of output and effectiveness, then tuning up your Morning Routine is an essential place to start.
SUGGESTION 3:
Warning: This one is not easy or fun. In order for me to build up my inner warrior, who is capable of doing things I don’t to do, I actually practice doing things I don’t want to do. This means I am psychologically able to overcome a little whiny voice in my head, which says, “But I don’t want to.” Micheal Beckwith says, “What does not feeling like it, have to do with it?” My activity of choice is doing 8 chin-ups every morning on entering my office. Rarely, if ever, are they fun. The first four are relatively easy to do, but after that the fun show winds way down. I know they are good for me physiologically, but I do them more for the psychological benefits. Fasting, intermittent fasting and time restricted eating, are other examples of this and which are also SUPER beneficial for your health.
SUGGESTION 4:
Get rid of clutter. A Warrior is highly organised. They know where their stuff is, so they can switch into action with no hesitation or ‘flip-flopping’. Having been in the military for 14-years, I got to learn the benefits of knowing where things are; plus not putting gear in my backpack, which was not essential. The extra weight, of non-essential stuff, is wasted energy. Clean your house of unnecessary clutter. Go room-to-room and cupboard-to-cupboard and throw out (recycle) or pass on any stuff you don’t nejust feels lighter. Plus giving stuff away brings its own joy with it. And PS: After you clean house – keep it clean.
SUGGESTION 5:
Let go of attachment to what people think of you. Stop the social comparison thing. Focus on being a good person and doing good things, not for recognition, but to build up your esteem of self. Be most interested about what you think of you, not what others think of you. Aim to be a better person than yesterday. Aim to be more calm, more grounded, more stable, less reactive, more aware of the simple beauty around you, more at peace with the mundane, more present, or more connected to nature. Put your life force and plasma into you, rather than looking over the fence and worrying what everyone else is up to. Consider how you can be a better you, and make the world a better place.
The key points (and summary)
There is an inner Warrior in you.
Your inner Warrior is influenced and guided by your inner Leader and Sage.
Maintenance (physically and psychologically) is the best strategy.
When your gut and heart co-create, you become unstoppable.
Practice doing things you don’t want to do. Not to punish yourself (e.g. choose things that also have a positive physiological benefit), but to build up your personal psychology.
Get more organised, as it makes it easier to act without hesitation and duress, plus there is lightness to it (think Feng Shui).
My parting words
You are already a Warrior. It’s within you.
It might just need a mini boot-camp.
A Warrior with heart is something special and sorely needed in a world gone a bit topsy-turvy.
You, as a Warrior with heart, not only gets sh#t done, but the ‘right’ sh#t done. 🙂
Stay courageous and have an awesome day and week.
Take care,
Carl
