The Warrior in All of Us: Universal Truths About Living Fully

Every day, millions of people wake up feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges. They might tell themselves they're not strong enough, nor brave enough, or simply not enough. I certainty have felt that way many times in my life.?

But, within each of us lives the spirit of a “Warrior”? Not the kind that seeks conflict or that is bellicose, but rather, the kind Warrior that faces life with courage, purpose, and joy. Some people cultivate the Warrior Spirit better than others.??Some Warrior Spirits are trained, worked on, paid attention to, cultivated, and nurtured. I posit that the stronger one’s Warrior Spirit is, the more joyful and fulfilled a life they will have.?

Can we cultivate this “Warrior Spirit?” Do we want to cultivate a Spirit that dominates life’s challenges? Here is a simple fact, and sorry to burst any bubbles. History, philosophy, religion from the beginning of recorded history to this day amply demonstrates that life is hard, life is unfair, life constantly changes, people will hurt you, and importantly, you will shut your eyes for a final time one day soon. In other words, you will die.?

To be clear, by no means is life all bad! To the contrary, life is filled with love, joy, happiness, fulfillment, and wonder. But, we all have the tendency, if we are not mindful, to place 95% of our time into 5% of life’s difficulties. To me, the trick is to bring the Warrior Spirit that confronts the difficulties of life head on, and increase exponentially our attention to our many blessings.?

It all has to do with mindset!

As both an EMT and trial attorney, I've witnessed this Warrior Spirit in the most unexpected places. It's not just in the courtroom or on the streets during emergency calls. I've seen it in the eyes of a parent staying calm while their child is in crisis, in the determination of a student pushing through difficult exams, in the quiet resolve of someone facing personal challenges, in the courage of a person who is panicked and in fear, but nevertheless preserves!

The Warrior Spirit I speak of is not about aggression, combat, or attack. It's about perseverance and finding joy in the process. It's about staying steady when everything around you is chaotic and seemingly falling apart. It's about moving forward when others might quit. And in truth, those that we admire most, and who are the most “successful,” are not destroyed by fear, lack of confidence, and worry.?They are people that were able to keep calm and move past their fears. Their greatness was just as simple as that.

I know, it’s the simple fight, or flight reponse. Yes! Our fears trigger the same emotions in the amygdala that exist as if we are being chased by a hungry tiger. In modern life, many times it’s just an overreaction, but it still feels the same.??

In my TEDx talk, I spoke of Mary S., an elderly woman who was a patient of mine during my teenage EMT years. Despite a constellation of medical problems she was always upbeat, curious, kind, loving, and a pleasure to be around. She was resilient, funny, and had amazing positive energy. She once told me that you have to find the very best in every minute we have been given to live, even with those things we wish weren’t there.

Mary had the Warrior Spirit!

As a trial lawyer, I was once prosecuting a horrific murder case. I had a young pre-teen witness on the stand who was asked a question about witnessing her mother being killed that was one of the cruelest, insensitive, uncalled for, meant to upset her question I have ever heard in court. I watched as this wide-eyed child kept her composure, courage, and dignity to keep on going in a situation that anyone would have understood if she just had broken down in defeat. I am friends with this inspirational person to this day.

She has the Warrior Spirit.???

?A Warrior Spirit is not about winning every battle, overcoming every obstacle. It's about showing up, staying present, and maintaining your dignity and purpose regardless of circumstances, and in the end, regardless of the outcome.

? The Universal Warrior Spirit shows itself in each and every one of us, each and every day—most times in small ways:

• The parent who stays patient after a long, challenging day.
• The professional facing difficult decisions with integrity.
• The student pushing through self-doubt to pursue their dreams.
• The person dealing with illness while maintaining hope.
• Anyone choosing courage over comfort.

? But here's the key: this Warrior Spirit isn't something we need to create – it's already within us. We just need to recognize and nurture it. It's in every moment we:

• Choose to face our fears rather than run from them.
• Maintain composure when we feel like falling apart.
• Keep our purpose in mind when distractions tempt us.
• Stay true to our values when it would be easier not to.

I've seen this in the courtroom, where maintaining composure can mean the difference between justice served or denied. I've seen it on the streets as an EMT, where staying calm literally saves lives. But most importantly, I've seen it in everyday life, where ordinary people face extraordinary challenges with grace and dignity.

This is why our path to a joyful life isn't about avoiding challenges – it's about developing the Warrior Spirit to meet them. Joy isn't the absence of difficulty; it's the strength to maintain our equilibrium, and equanimity, regardless of circumstances.

Think about your own life. When have you shown Warrior Spirit without even realizing it? When have you persevered despite fear? When have you maintained grace under pressure? Those moments weren't accidents – they were glimpses of your inner Warrior.

As we continue our journey together, remember that:

-???The Warrior Spirit isn't about being fearless-– it's about moving forward in spite of the fear.?

-???It's not about being perfect – it's about being persistent.?

-???And importantly, it's not about fighting others – it's about mastering ourselves, our thoughts, our negative self-talk, our limiting and false beliefs.

Until next time, stay strong, stay purposeful, and embrace your inner Warrior.

Bob Bianchi