“Think of it as part of the act of killing.”
Many people start their articles or book chapters with a quote; this gives seriousness, authority and authenticity to what follows. In general, I like a good date, although seeing the same quotes and anecdotes over and over (Edison and his light bulb, Colonel Sanders and his chicken) starts to irritate me after a while.
With that in mind, here is a quote that changed my life, from Miyamoto Musashi’s “The Book of Five Rings” (translated by Thomas Cleary). Read and I’ll explain why.
“FIVE TYPES OF GUARD” “The five types of guard are the upper position, the middle position, the lower position, the right hand guard, and the left hand guard. Although the guard can be divided into five classes, they are all for the purpose of killing people. There is no other type of guard besides these five.
Whatever guard you adopt, don’t think of it as being on guard; think of it as part of the act of killing.
I found The Book of Five Rings for the handsome sum of fifty pence at Oxfam. At the time I was an operations manager for a media company. I led 12 managers and 160 employees across three day and night shifts in a business that ran 24/7 and was only closed on Christmas Day. Getting everyone to move in the same direction was often a challenge, as we were a feisty bunch, with considerable egos. There were many heated conversations and passionate discussions. I have to admit, sometimes, I’d walk out of a meeting and feel like I’d gotten a kick out of it.
When we are under attack, people will look for our weak and vulnerable points; they love our emotions and our pride. This can throw us off balance and make us feel hurt and angry. If our pride is hurt, we can counterattack irrationally and ineffectively and this will make us appear even weaker.
Rather than have a weak counterattack, it’s better to protect yourself and admit that you may not have all the answers, that you need more time, even to own up to mistakes or oversights and apologize. Don’t show anger, but strive for inner calm, put your ego in suspense, and demonstrate unwavering equanimity.
Have patience, have perspective and have perseverance. Not all conflicts are won with a few easy moves. Don’t think of it as being on your guard; think of it as part of the act of killing. You will persevere. You will win.
The biggest battles are those we fight within ourselves, often we need to be on our guard. In this case, don’t think of it as being on guard; think of it as part of the act of living.
