You can’t get it by osmosis! It’s not just going to rub off on you. No, you have to actually do some work. It would be nice if osmosis worked for knowledge or skills transfer. Some think that we can engage in sleep learning—transferring knowledge while we engage in the hard work of sleeping soundly. That does not seem to be a proven technique. For now, it is primarily the domain of science fiction. Osmosis would be nice … the free transfer of mental and emotional assets just by being in proximity to the source of that knowledge, wisdom, or skill set. The true warrior knows that what you can catch in that environment is an emotional response, such as hope, attraction, desire, or motivation. When you are exposed (by proximity) to great ideas, demonstrations of expertise, or profound wisdom, you can become swept up emotionally—often times with such sufficient fervour that you actually commit to a course of action. The true warrior knows that these are the types of conditions a great teacher sets out to create, as their environment for teaching or instruction. If he or she can stimulate an emotional response that inspires a desire to learn in the hearts of their students, the lessons will be immeasurably more profound.

So, my young Jedi, you can either just decide to acquire knowledge, wisdom, and skills by setting out on a course of action and doing the necessary work … or you can immerse yourself in a culture of learning, aligning your emotional drive and your intellectual goals by surrounding yourself with a like-minded team … and then being swept along on your adventure of learning. (Side note: If you drop the “L” from learning, you get earning!)

The good news is that, at any time, you can make this decision. The bad news is that few of you will act accordingly. Unfortunately, many of us fail to recognize opportunity because it looks too much like hard work. The true warrior is a human creation—the culmination of effort, conditioning, sacrifice, and hard word. The true warrior is not born that way. He or she did not achieve their rank and status by right of birth, connection, or membership in the right clique. He or she became a true warrior as a result of a conscious decision and deliberate plan of action. What is your decision and plan of action for today?

You are warriors, and clearly you have made some kind of decision, so don’t hold back. There is no osmosis coming to help you out. It is all up to you and your plan of action for the day. With a good plan and effective action you will achieve far more than you even thought possible. So it has been written.