What is your source of inspiration? From where do you get your ideas? Do they just appear in your mind unbidden or do you have to work at creating them? Do you want to have inspiration and ideas coming to you or do you prefer to keep your head down and just get on with what you have in your mind already? There is no right idea. There may be a right way of doing some things, but there are often alternate methods of achieving goals and outcomes. It is like success at investing in the stock market. There are many methods that will result in success. The key is to have a program, the discipline to follow your program, and the discipline to avoid breaking your own rules. If you want to fail, that is even easier. Don’t have a plan, shoot from the hip, fly by the seat of your pants, and think that you know better than anyone else. The true warrior has developed a plan, a program, and a discipline that facilitates their communication with the universe. Their plan allows the true warrior to be receptive to the truth about the world … and that is a very important inspiration to behold.
Benjamin Franklin had a plan; it has since been published by Skyhorse Publishing, and is available to us mere mortals (for purchase) as The Art of Virtue – Ben Franklin’s Formula for Successful Living1. It is a fascinating autobiographical account of one man’s struggle to become what could truly be considered a true warrior. His full autobiography1 is also very instructive, but this short tome is immediately useful to anyone who might wish to improve their character. For example, on page seven, he quotes a proverb of Solomon (which his own father frequently repeated to him), and then comments on the implications it had for his own life:
“‘Seest thou a man diligent in his calling, he shall stand before kings, he shall not stand before mean men,’ I thence considered industry as a means of obtaining wealth and distinction, which encouraged me, though I did not think that I should ever literally stand before kings, which however has since happened; for I have stood before five, and even had the honor of sitting down with one, the King of Denmark, to dinner.” – The Art of Virtue, page 7.
Quoting a proverb of Solomon, Franklin gives us the key: to be diligent in our calling. Have a plan and stick to it.
You are warriors and by following your plan, and being focused and disciplined, you will achieve resounding success and acquire much knowledge. So it has been written.