Friday 7th December - Thoughts from Chuan Tzu

I have been reading a book titled The Warrior of the Light (from the author of the Alchemist) and it is really page after page of his thoughts and beliefs in about three to four paragraphs per page. It is quite interesting and a very easy read.

One page got my attention.
It is a set of rules by "the warrior Chuan Tzu" from three thousand years ago. I have made comments underneath in brackets

Faith - before going into battle, you must believe in the reasons for the fight

(Now that is a great piece of advice. How many times have you heard people say I don't even know why we are fighting)

Companions - choose your allies and learn to fight in their company, for no one ever won a fight single handed

(Haven't things drastically changed in that regard. Who hasn't heard that we need to learn how to fight our own battles. However in today's modern life, we all too often try to deal with issues in our lives that would be better discussed or shared)

Time - a battle in winter is different from a battle in summer; a good warrior is careful to select the right moment to begin a fight

(A smarter warrior tries to avoid fights. If you are "fighting" in Summer make sure you wear sunscreen)

Space - one does not fight in the same way in a mountain pass as one would on a plain. Think about your surroundings and how best to move around in them.

(I'm a strong advocate of not fighting in planes ... oh it's a different plain :-)

Strategy - the best warrior is the one who plans his fight.

(With any battle a plan is essential. We are fighting a war on obesity so let's use strategic plans with a conscious thought for positive outcomes to win)

Now of course these original "scripts" were written three thousand years ago but even then there was always thought given to action.

If we can learn to apply "thoughts" to our actions and then invoke some personal responsibility I believe that we can get fitter, lose body fat and improve the quality of our lives.