123. On the Formation of Your Character

Some day, in the years to come, you will be wrestling with The Great Temptation or trembling under the Great Sorrow of your life. But the real struggle is here and now. Now, here, in your heart, it is being decided whether in the day of your great sorrow or temptation you shall fail miserably or conquer gloriously. Character cannot be made except by a steady long continuous process. - Phillip Brooks

You cannot play with the animal in you without becoming wholly animal, play with falsehood without forfeiting your right to truth, play with cruelty without losing your sensitivity of mind. He who wants to keep a garden does not reserve a plot for weeds. Do not dabble, especially in those things that are unhealthy.

122. Miyamoto Musashi, the Wise Warrior.

Read and study Musashi's Book of the Five Rings and that of his rival, Takuan Soho, The Unfettered Mind. Musashi says : " The spirit of defeating one man is the same for defeating ten million. The strategist makes small things into big things." This is a very important point - Learn how to leverage your advantages and assets in order to turn the small things into big. Musashi also says : "Train day and night to make quick decisions. Treat training as part of your normal life." When you get the opportunity to train at your Martial Art, jump at it so you can learn to defend yourself and overcome your enemies. Train every day. If you cannot find a training partner, read your notes or Martial Arts Books or watch training videos. This is called keeping your mind in company with your Art. While philosophy tells you to know yourself so that you may know others, it is difficult to know yourself if you do not know others. Study well, therefore.

"Everything is difficult at first but becomes easy with practice."

Perfect practice makes perfect. Make sure what you practice is perfect, correct. Polish your way, your techniques. "

"It is better to use 2 swords when fighting a crowd, especially if you want to take a prisoner."

"From one thing know ten thousand."

"Do not have favourite weapons or tools. Do not have likes and dislikes (attractions and aversions). Learn to transcend the many pairs of opposites presented by the mind.

"Until trained in how to use them, do not use your weapons."

121. Do Sufficient Research

Know the smallest and the greatest things. You may choose later to ignore some detail or other, but there is never any excuse for not knowing them to begin with. The value in keeping detailed records of everything you research is that you do not need to clutter your mind with useless detail if you know where you can lay your hands on it at any time you choose.

120. Do they REALLY Know ?

If someone cannot reply immediately to the question "what is ... ?", it is because they do not know the answer in their hearts. If they have to stop and think, they are manufacturing an (untrue and unreal) answer. From this you can see that they are not the true followers of the path or way that they are pretending to be.

119. Four Things to Shun

Rid yourself of arrogance, lust, ingratiating manners and excessive ambition. All are detrimental to your character and person.

118. The Past Does Not Equal the Future

This is an important fact to remember especially when it comes to investments. Just because a share did well in the past, it does not go to say that it will continue to do well in the future.