Wisdom of the Peaceful Warrior
I admit it took me much longer to read, let alone review, this book after I received it in the mail from Stefano. I had a vacation to enjoy, then a tough job to endure, a steady stream of visitors to entertain and a family crisis that continues to unfold. If only I’d sat down with this sequel by Dan Millman sooner, I would have handled all these situations differently.
I never read Millman's earlier works, including Way of the Peaceful Warrior. Nor have I seen the movie version. But this latest installation in a series makes it easy for the uninitiated since Millman pulls scenes and sayings from an earlier work to introduce what was gained since he met a man called Socrates. That’s the guy who ran a gas station when Millman was attending UC, Berkeley and who became a guiding force in Millman’s life -- a life in northern California that seems on the surface quite ordinary, actually. If you’re up on philosophers like Alan Watts or even Buddha, then many passages will ring familiar.
Socrates had a profound influence on Millman, and one reason the book has circulated among athlete bloggers is because Millman himself was a world-class gymnast who mastered not only the use of his muscles but his mind to great success. I often wondered as I read on: Is this where the saying "90 percent of a race is run above the neck" comes from?
This book by no means provides instructions on how to run a better marathon or faster 5k, at least not in the conventional sense. But it is an excellent guide to how to live, and within life are running and relationships and all we hold dear. One of my favorite passages deals with the art of practice. “Practice involves doing with the conscious intention to improve, to refine, so that each day, each moment, we commit to walking more smoothly, breathing more fully, and practicing everything we used to merely do. Practicing draws us into the present moment and makes every moment extraordinary.”
I picked this passage not only because it resonates personally, but because I think it also sums up the essence of the book. Don't just live in the moment, live for it – embrace every molecule and appreciate every minute you're given. Do not worry about what you cannot control, which is a lot in today’s troubling times. As Millman – or was it actually Socrates? -- would (and did) say: “Do your best; let God handle the rest.”
I never read Millman's earlier works, including Way of the Peaceful Warrior. Nor have I seen the movie version. But this latest installation in a series makes it easy for the uninitiated since Millman pulls scenes and sayings from an earlier work to introduce what was gained since he met a man called Socrates. That’s the guy who ran a gas station when Millman was attending UC, Berkeley and who became a guiding force in Millman’s life -- a life in northern California that seems on the surface quite ordinary, actually. If you’re up on philosophers like Alan Watts or even Buddha, then many passages will ring familiar.Socrates had a profound influence on Millman, and one reason the book has circulated among athlete bloggers is because Millman himself was a world-class gymnast who mastered not only the use of his muscles but his mind to great success. I often wondered as I read on: Is this where the saying "90 percent of a race is run above the neck" comes from?
This book by no means provides instructions on how to run a better marathon or faster 5k, at least not in the conventional sense. But it is an excellent guide to how to live, and within life are running and relationships and all we hold dear. One of my favorite passages deals with the art of practice. “Practice involves doing with the conscious intention to improve, to refine, so that each day, each moment, we commit to walking more smoothly, breathing more fully, and practicing everything we used to merely do. Practicing draws us into the present moment and makes every moment extraordinary.”
I picked this passage not only because it resonates personally, but because I think it also sums up the essence of the book. Don't just live in the moment, live for it – embrace every molecule and appreciate every minute you're given. Do not worry about what you cannot control, which is a lot in today’s troubling times. As Millman – or was it actually Socrates? -- would (and did) say: “Do your best; let God handle the rest.”
