The true warrior perfects his or her art with practice, practice, and more practice. Their objective is to move the skills from the thinking mind into the non-thinking mind. Why do this? The true warrior knows that the non-thinking mind is three to fifteen times faster with a reaction than the thinking mind is with a response. Even at the best of times, that reaction speed is not all that fast, so true warriors work hard to gain every competitive edge that they can possibly devise. There have been tests done on people who have had extensive brain injuries, and effectively lost the ability to process cognitive functions. These include even the simplest things. “I am hungry, so I will go and make myself a sandwich.” It turns out that even someone who cannot think this through can go and find themselves a sandwich, if they have been through the process often and can do it on auto pilot. In other words, they can do it without thinking, because it has been moved from the thinking mind into the habitual/reactive/instinctual mind through repetitive behaviour—whether this has been done after the brain injury or it had been already moved there before the brain injury.

Knowing that we can program the habitual/reactive/instinctual mind, should we choose to do so, is an important competitive advantage. Most of us don’t think about it strategically and just let stuff accumulate in that mind—whether or not it creates true advantages for us. Does that make any real sense? The majority of the population doesn’t think strategically about their time here on the planet, and if they do, at some point they give up the extra work and just end up going with the flow, because it is easier and less work.

Is that you I’m describing? Remember that it is never too late to correct the course of your life; it is only when you are dead that you can no longer have any impact on yourself. So, if you are reading this, I am pleased to advise you that you are not yet dead and you can change as much or as little as you want, should you be dissatisfied with your life or your direction.

True warriors perfect their art and live a pleasing life. The true warrior has much wealth, no matter how it is measured, as a result of following the true path … and you too can join the brother and sisterhood of the true warrior, as the only requirement for membership is the desire to be counted a member.

You are warriors, and by practising and perfecting your art, you will be mightily pleased with the result. So it is written.