“When a man's willing and eager the gods join in.”
-Aeschylus
Power
“Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.”
-Lao Tzu
Mindfulness
“Give every man thy ear but few thy voice.”
-William Shakespeare
Perseverance
“Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.”
-Abraham Lincoln
Equanimity
“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”
-Mahatma Gandhi
Individuality
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Limitations
“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
― T.S. Eliot
Inner Light
“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”
-Saint Francis of Assisi
Togetherness
“If you want to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”
-African Proverb
Gratitude
“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”
-Meister Eckhart
Goodness
“Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.”
-Charles Dickens
Duty and Loyalty
“For the samurai, having done some ‘thing’ or said some ‘thing,’ he knows he owns that ‘thing.’ He is responsible for it and all the consequences that follow. A samurai is immensely loyal to those in his care. To those he is responsible for, he remains fiercely true.”
-The Code of Bushido
Complete Sincerity
“When a samurai has said he will perform an action, it is as good as done. Nothing will stop him from completing what he has said he will do. He does not have to ‘give his word.’ He does not have to ‘promise.’
“Speaking and doing are the same action.”
-The Code of Bushido
Compassion
“Through intense training the samurai becomes quick and strong. He is not as other men. He develops a power that must be used for the good of all. He has compassion. He helps his fellow man at every opportunity. If an opportunity does not arise, he goes out of his way to find one.”
-The Code of Bushido
Honor
“A true samurai has only one judge of honor, and this is himself. Decisions you make and how these decisions are carried out are a reflection of who you truly are.
“You cannot hide from yourself.”
-The Code of Bushido
Heroic Courage
“Rise up above the masses of people who are afraid to act. Hiding like a turtle in a shell is not living at all. A samurai must have heroic courage. It is absolutely risky. It is dangerous. It is living life completely, fully, wonderfully. Heroic courage is not blind: it is intelligent and strong.”
-The Code of Bushido
Lovingkindness
“When you speak to another person, speak to them as if you were speaking to God. For in fact, you are.”
-Coach Ralphie
Polite Courtesy
“Samurai have no reason to be cruel. They do not need to prove their strength. A samurai is courteous even to his enemies. Without this outward show of respect, we are nothing more than animals.
“A samurai is not only respected for his strength in battle, but also by his dealing with other men.
“The true strength of a samurai becomes apparent during difficult times.”
-The Code of Bushido
Honesty and Justice
“Be acutely honest throughout your dealings with all people. Believe in justice, not from other people, but from yourself. To the true samurai, there are no shades of gray in the question of honesty and justice.
“There is only right and wrong.”
-Code of Bushido
Mastery
“Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person.”
-Albert Einstein
