Challenge Day #4

Peaceful Warrior

Peaceful Warrior written by Kevin Bernhardt and directed by Victor Salva, starring Scott Mechlowica, Nick Nolte, and Amy Smart 2006, DEJ Productions. Peaceful Warrior is the incredible true story based on Dan Millman's bestselling novel. A gifted gymnast, Dan, comes to rely on Socrates, a mysterious stranger, after a major motorcycle accident shatters him. This snippet of dialogue is one of the reasons I love this film. 

Socrates: Everyone wants to tell you what to do and what's good for you. They don't want you to find your own answers, they want you to believe theirs.

Dan: Let me guess, and you want me to believe yours. 
Socrates: No, I want you to stop gathering information from the outside and start gathering it from the inside.

For me, this captures much of my life’s work.  I believe that each individual has the answers within him/herself.  That helping is all about creating the conditions for someone else to listen to him or herself.  That far too often, we let the world and those around us dictate who we are being.  It is up to each of us to stop this cycle, to take charge of our lives and to create what we want in life. 

Each of us possesses more internal power than we can ever imagine.  The world is full of people who have learned to manage their thoughts, their actions and found they can accomplish miracles.   As Socrates puts it, “Some people live their whole lives without ever waking up.”  Wake up to your potential and the power you have within yourself.  Your beliefs and thinking set the direction in your life.  Like the little engine that could – if you think you can, you can. You can control your beliefs and thoughts and create what you want. 

I’ll leave you with this final thought from the character Socrates - “I call myself a Peaceful Warrior…because the real battles we fight are on the inside.”