Tag Archives: pilgrim

The Warrior and the Chopsticks

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Often times we have varying ideas of reality. With differences in religious beliefs, political views, and plain day-to-day events, we all have different realities. Within this lifetime we have som any varying views, who’s to say it stops at the end of this world. Here is a story and reflection of  Warrior who witnesses first hand that our varying perceptions do not stop at death’s door.

There is a legend about a warrior in the East who died and went to heaven. “Before I enter,” he said to the gatekeeper, “I would like you to take me on a tour of hell.”

The gatekeeper found a guide to take the warrior to hell. When they got there, the warrior was astonished to see a great table piled high with every tasty food he could imagine – anything one could possibly want to eat or drink. The warrior then looked at the people. They were all starving.

“How could this be?” he asked the guide. “Are they not allowed to eat?”

“Oh yes, they can eat,” said the guide “but they must use the chopsticks they are given. They are five feet long and they must hold them at the end. Just look at them. They miss their mouths every time!”

“Enough,” said the warrior, “This is hell, indeed! Please take me back to heaven.” In heaven, to his surprise, he saw a similar room, with a similar table loaded with all the same food. But, the people were in radiant health, happy and well-nourished. The warrior turned to the guide and said, “I see – no chopsticks here.”

The guide replied that yes, the people were still issued chopsticks and yes, they were still five feet long and that they still must be held at the end – but, the difference was that in heaven the people learned to feed each other.

Just as the Warrior found in the afterlife, we are witnesses too. Often we see the negative side of thins when there is always a silver-lining to every darkened cloud. We can choose to see ourselves as helpless or we can choose to be self-sufficient, allowing a higher source to work within our lives.

Stepping into the Canvas with the view of a Warrior. Instead of seeming helpless and not being able to eat, we work collaboratively as one…never going hungry again. Lending a hand to another, I invariably help myself to eat.

 

True Leadership

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When we think of leadership, our attention goes to the obvious: a person who directs a group or organization towards a certain goal of that institution. What we fail to see are the ‘True Leaders’ who quietly go to work day in and day out. While the obvious leader is just that and often recognized for their accomplishments; the not so obvious is the person who stands in the background, allowing his team to thrive and grow…essentially cultivating future leaders.

The pilgrim once thought he had to lead troops into battle but now, on the path of Warrior, merely allows them to shine. As a young pilgrim he lied, manipulated, and often asked the unimaginable of his team. As Warrior he knows a true leader is one who trusts in his team, allowing them to use their own creative gifts and giving praise where deserved.

When I began writing of the Pilgrim and Warrior, I saw two sides to every human: one being a Pilgrim Lost and in search of truth; the other being the Warrior who has found truth, allowing others to go ahead of him remaining in peace. At the beginning of our Pilgrim versus Warrior theme I wrote about the Pilgrim being a He; the Warrior being a She. This was purely a self-reflection of who I was and where I wanted to be. The He representing the Masculine side and the She representing the Feminine side. We spend most of our lives as man or woman, but at a turning point in our lives we reflect where we are going in the future and, hopefully, reconnect with our opposing self. If being a man, we are to find our sacred feminine within. Being a woman, we are to find the masculine. When we learn that we are not whole without the other, we learn our truest identity…we are one. While the Pilgrim is able to lead others, it is the Warrior who stands firmly in what he believes but allows others to pass him by. Knowing what I know, I see true leaders all around me…

Our mothers quietly maintained a certain order of things, graciously cultivating environments of growth. Selflessly giving everyday and making sacrifices without ever getting anything in return. Some see the rewards immediate, some never receive, but continue to give of themselves wholeheartedly. Think back into history…even the great leaders of our past, had silent leaders backing them. The wives who stood behind them, while their partners shared their vision with the world.It is the silent Warrior who has true leadership. A true leader is one who knows The Way, but allows others to lead.

Stepping into the Canvas we allow ourselves to be who we came here to be. Afraid no longer, we step with care but with authority. Not looking for praise, but what is right. Mindfully…we are aware.