The Real Battle Is Within

By Mike Mahler

"I Call myself a peaceful warrior because life's battles are within."- From the movie and book The Peaceful Warrior

One of the main reasons why people fail to achieve their goals is they fail to conquer themselves. They are always looking at factors outside of themselves. As long as your blame other people and blame circumstances, you will never achieve your goals. You cannot worry about what is out of your control. Life is stressful enough and worrying about what other people think is a waste of time. Especially, people you do not even know.

Sun Tzu once stated that the winner of a battle is decided before the fight even occurs. How is this possible? The side that knows who they are and what they are capable of will always win. Most of us have never placed our life on pause to really ascertain who we are. Instead we distract ourselves with TV, movies, books, the Internet, Mike Mahler's magazine ;-) (okay, we can let this one slide), mindless conversations, and other stimulus addictions.
One common thread among people that have experienced immense suffering and prevailed is they discovered who they are and did not let go. I remember reading about a Vietnam veteran that served time in a prison camp. He was broken down completely and at his worst moment he discovered who he was and could no longer be conquered. While what he went through was very painful, he stated that he is glad it happened and that he would not be the man he is without that experience.

Sometimes we have no where to go but rock bottom. As stressful as rock bottom is, it is also liberating. Your fears have come true and you have to rise to the occasion. Circumstances create the person and often the person you have always needed to be will emerge from the ashes. The problem is most people are risk adverse and as a result never discover who they are. Frankly, many people live lives that are the equivalent of a spectator sport. They get inspired by others that are doers but never get in the game. They live vicariously through others and think it is enough. Yet, deep inside there is an unexplainable yearning for more. Something real; something visceral; something that lets you know you are alive.

How did you become the person you are now? Have you ever taken the time to do some self analysis. How come you are not the person you want to be? You are the only thing that is holding you back. With brutal self-realization comes a tremendous surge of freedom and energy. You come into yourself and as Napoleon Hill states, "The world has a way of making room for a man that knows exactly what he wants." Yes I am sure Napoleon meant to include women as well so no hate mail please. The problem is few people know exactly what they want. Most people's desires are derived from TV commercials, movies, magazines, family, friends etc. You think you want a new car. However, if you really think about it, you only want it to get approval from others not because you genuinely want it. You want to get lean and ripped. Yet, when you think about it, you only want it because it is what you think you should have. How much of your desires are derived from what others think you should have? When you achieve goals that are not your own, you will only feel empty.

Following your instincts is not always easy. It often defies logic. Yet, logic could be the very thing that is holding you back. Logical people do not believe in possibilities. Every thing they do is based on statistical analysis. I never worry about statistics as no test can take me into account as an individual and what I am prepared to do. I did poorly on the SAT's, graduated high school with a 2.0 GPA, and I barely got into college. Once in college I picked one of the least marketable major majors out there! I majored in Religious Studies with an emphasis on Eastern religions. Family and friends stated that I would never get a job with that major and that I should pick something more practical. My pick was not logical. Well, sometimes you have to say screw logic and go with your passion. I hated college and Religious studies was the only area that I found interesting. I went from barely passing my classes to getting on the Dean's list. I learned for the first time that I only do well at things that I enjoy. A lesson that would serve me well latter in life. On paper I had every reason to be unsuccessful. However, I have a life that is far from unsuccessful.

If I am not passionate about something, I will not excel at it. Hell, I will not even do okay at it. Thus, I always gravitate towards what I enjoy doing. As a result, I have an incredible lifestyle now. I love my line of work. I set my own hours, make a great income, and most importantly I impact people positively. What more can one ask for? Frankly, I just want to have this feeling of being alive indefinitely and I will as long as I remain brutally honest with myself and go with my instincts however illogical they may be. Leave logic for Mr. Spock and learn to fine tune your instincts and get in touch with a power greater than yourself. You as an individual are only so strong. However, when you can connect with something much greater than yourself, you will be unstoppable. It all starts with you and what you are prepared to do. What are you prepared to do? It is up to you. As stated in the movie Vanilla Sky, every passing moment is a chance to turn it all around.

Live Life Aggressively!

Mike Mahler
www.mikemahler.com