First I would like to say "hello" to a reader from the Guadeloupe Islands. I have to admit I was caught flat-footed, because I have never heard of the Guadeloupe Islands. These are a group of islands located in the Lesser Antilles, and are a French protectorate or possession, something like that. A very beautiful place. So here is a big shout out to my friends in the Guadeloupe Islands!
Now to today's story:
Several years ago I saw a book in a local store that sort of caught my interest. This book was titled The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman. This book was first published in 1980. In its first publishing, the book sold only modest numbers and sat on the shelf for several years, but in 2006 the book was republished through H.J. Kramer Publishing. Apparently Kramer Publishing was just the shot in the arm Millman's book needed, through better publicity and marketing. In any case, The Way of the Peaceful Warrior shot up on the New York Times Bestseller list, and has sold over two million copies since.
The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, as a title, intrigued me way back in about 2004 or so, and I took this book off the shelf. I read a few words of the book then read the jacket. At that point I noticed that the author stated that his book was a "fictionalized" account of real events, and also that he had added "metaphoric" illustrations that had also been more or less "made up" to make some of the ideas "more clear" to the reader. At that point I put the book down and went looking for some "true" books. I thought, as I walked away, HOW can a more or less fictional book be of any use to one who was looking for "good advice" on life, such as Napoleon Hill or Steve Covey might offer?
I frequent book stores and online book sellers, so over the next few years I saw The Way of the Peaceful Warrior many times, and I was occasionally tempted to pick up the book again, but I always replaced it and bought something else instead. Until last week.
Last week I purchased The Way of the Peaceful Warrior as an audible book. I am not sure what I was expecting, maybe some light and fun entertainment. So while I was at work, I listened to this book on my Kindle. After listening to it for a few minutes, I found I was not able to "put it down," or rather, to stop listening. Once I got past the idea that parts of the book were "fictionalized accounts," I found that this book touched me right down to the soul and marrow, and articulated thoughts and ideas that I felt were true, but could not really spell them out for myself.
I suppose with book sales of over 2,000,000 I should have picked up this book a long time ago. The Way of the Peaceful Warrior had spoken to so many other people as well, both over time and around the world. I found that this book is now available in at least twenty-nine languages.
Of many thoughts this book expressed, three especially hit home with me. First, the idea that the only time we really have is NOW, and the only place we really have is HERE. Several times in the book, the character known as Socrates asked Millman, "What time is it?" Eventually Millman learned that answer was "now," not yesterday, not tomorrow, not five years from now, but only "now." Socrates also asked, "Where are you?" Millman learned that he was "here," not somewhere someday, but "here and now." Simple concepts really, but profound as well.
I have known the above statements to be true for some time, yet, just as the sky is blue, these concepts were so obvious that I ignored them, forgot about them. But think about it. The only time we really have is "now." This is important, because if we dwell on the past, whether we have regrets or good memories, failures or great accomplishments, if we dwell on such we tend to miss what is going on now, and therefore we are not actually focused on the present. And if we are focused on what we might get someday, or what we wish we might have someday, we miss what we have today, right now, and fail to appreciate our lives as much as we might.
The only place we are is here. Again, a simple thought, yet such a profound idea. We fail to appreciate where we are in life right now, because we are busy pursuing "more and better" that we will get someday, or we are busy trying to forget where we were "yesterday," how bad we had it, how people may have treated us. Again, this kind of thinking means that we do not appreciate where we are now...and where we are now is the only place we really know that we will be. Well, that is my idea, but Dan Millman expresses it so much better and enlightens us so much more in his book.
Finally, I came across a really profound idea that Millman shows us in his book, but which is so obvious in life that few of us embrace it. It is the idea of being happy HERE and NOW, even when or if THERE IS NO REASON to be happy. Simple, right? But what if you are not doing the job you WANT to do? What if you are not "rich" or "famous?" What if you don't have the fine house you want yet? What if you are not making as much as you are worth? Maybe you are driving a ten-year old Chevrolet and you WANT a new Cadillac CTS. Millman shows us, in this book, how to be happy in the moment (NOW) with what we have and with our life circumstances (HERE).
A fictionalized book? Yes, it must be, because of some of the strange things that happen in this story. Made up details? Yes, there are things in the book that are clearly fiction. It put me off at one time, and I am sorry it did. Even in the little time that has passed since I read this book, I feel the changes in my life. I feel less tension, less anger, less desire to get more, or to get "ahead." I wish I had bought this book years ago, but after reading it, I am not dwelling on the fact that I did not by it back then and start applying these principles years ago. I acknowledge that I did not buy the book, but I have it now and I have it here. No need for regret, just the need to be happy in the moment.
Well, this is my take on The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. Today's post is certainly not a book review, in the usual sense, nor is it an analysis of Millman's philosophy. It is just my way of letting you know that I recommend this book if you have not read it already, and my way of sharing with you a few of the profound ideas which will now be my keys to life, to living happy HERE and NOW.
Dan Millman has published several books since The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, and I intend to read some or all of these books as time permits. But even if I never get to read these other books, I have profited already from reading Millman's first publication. I hope you too will read this book. Maybe you beat me to it. Good. I hope you got as much out of it as I did. I will be listening to it again and again in the next few days to get more and to re-emphasize what I learned in the first reading.
I have chosen to be a Peaceful Warrior; therefore you will see fewer rants over things for which I have no control and cannot change, and more emphasis on the good things in this life, and in the life to come.
Thank you for reading this, and may God bless you. And God Bless America.
Now to today's story:
Several years ago I saw a book in a local store that sort of caught my interest. This book was titled The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman. This book was first published in 1980. In its first publishing, the book sold only modest numbers and sat on the shelf for several years, but in 2006 the book was republished through H.J. Kramer Publishing. Apparently Kramer Publishing was just the shot in the arm Millman's book needed, through better publicity and marketing. In any case, The Way of the Peaceful Warrior shot up on the New York Times Bestseller list, and has sold over two million copies since.
The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, as a title, intrigued me way back in about 2004 or so, and I took this book off the shelf. I read a few words of the book then read the jacket. At that point I noticed that the author stated that his book was a "fictionalized" account of real events, and also that he had added "metaphoric" illustrations that had also been more or less "made up" to make some of the ideas "more clear" to the reader. At that point I put the book down and went looking for some "true" books. I thought, as I walked away, HOW can a more or less fictional book be of any use to one who was looking for "good advice" on life, such as Napoleon Hill or Steve Covey might offer?
I frequent book stores and online book sellers, so over the next few years I saw The Way of the Peaceful Warrior many times, and I was occasionally tempted to pick up the book again, but I always replaced it and bought something else instead. Until last week.
Last week I purchased The Way of the Peaceful Warrior as an audible book. I am not sure what I was expecting, maybe some light and fun entertainment. So while I was at work, I listened to this book on my Kindle. After listening to it for a few minutes, I found I was not able to "put it down," or rather, to stop listening. Once I got past the idea that parts of the book were "fictionalized accounts," I found that this book touched me right down to the soul and marrow, and articulated thoughts and ideas that I felt were true, but could not really spell them out for myself.
I suppose with book sales of over 2,000,000 I should have picked up this book a long time ago. The Way of the Peaceful Warrior had spoken to so many other people as well, both over time and around the world. I found that this book is now available in at least twenty-nine languages.
Of many thoughts this book expressed, three especially hit home with me. First, the idea that the only time we really have is NOW, and the only place we really have is HERE. Several times in the book, the character known as Socrates asked Millman, "What time is it?" Eventually Millman learned that answer was "now," not yesterday, not tomorrow, not five years from now, but only "now." Socrates also asked, "Where are you?" Millman learned that he was "here," not somewhere someday, but "here and now." Simple concepts really, but profound as well.
I have known the above statements to be true for some time, yet, just as the sky is blue, these concepts were so obvious that I ignored them, forgot about them. But think about it. The only time we really have is "now." This is important, because if we dwell on the past, whether we have regrets or good memories, failures or great accomplishments, if we dwell on such we tend to miss what is going on now, and therefore we are not actually focused on the present. And if we are focused on what we might get someday, or what we wish we might have someday, we miss what we have today, right now, and fail to appreciate our lives as much as we might.
The only place we are is here. Again, a simple thought, yet such a profound idea. We fail to appreciate where we are in life right now, because we are busy pursuing "more and better" that we will get someday, or we are busy trying to forget where we were "yesterday," how bad we had it, how people may have treated us. Again, this kind of thinking means that we do not appreciate where we are now...and where we are now is the only place we really know that we will be. Well, that is my idea, but Dan Millman expresses it so much better and enlightens us so much more in his book.
Finally, I came across a really profound idea that Millman shows us in his book, but which is so obvious in life that few of us embrace it. It is the idea of being happy HERE and NOW, even when or if THERE IS NO REASON to be happy. Simple, right? But what if you are not doing the job you WANT to do? What if you are not "rich" or "famous?" What if you don't have the fine house you want yet? What if you are not making as much as you are worth? Maybe you are driving a ten-year old Chevrolet and you WANT a new Cadillac CTS. Millman shows us, in this book, how to be happy in the moment (NOW) with what we have and with our life circumstances (HERE).
A fictionalized book? Yes, it must be, because of some of the strange things that happen in this story. Made up details? Yes, there are things in the book that are clearly fiction. It put me off at one time, and I am sorry it did. Even in the little time that has passed since I read this book, I feel the changes in my life. I feel less tension, less anger, less desire to get more, or to get "ahead." I wish I had bought this book years ago, but after reading it, I am not dwelling on the fact that I did not by it back then and start applying these principles years ago. I acknowledge that I did not buy the book, but I have it now and I have it here. No need for regret, just the need to be happy in the moment.
Well, this is my take on The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. Today's post is certainly not a book review, in the usual sense, nor is it an analysis of Millman's philosophy. It is just my way of letting you know that I recommend this book if you have not read it already, and my way of sharing with you a few of the profound ideas which will now be my keys to life, to living happy HERE and NOW.
Dan Millman has published several books since The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, and I intend to read some or all of these books as time permits. But even if I never get to read these other books, I have profited already from reading Millman's first publication. I hope you too will read this book. Maybe you beat me to it. Good. I hope you got as much out of it as I did. I will be listening to it again and again in the next few days to get more and to re-emphasize what I learned in the first reading.
I have chosen to be a Peaceful Warrior; therefore you will see fewer rants over things for which I have no control and cannot change, and more emphasis on the good things in this life, and in the life to come.
Thank you for reading this, and may God bless you. And God Bless America.
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