Never Give Up

 Never give up

The ancient Spartans, as well as the Japanese Samurai, shared a similar approach to Warfare and even their daily lives. They never gave up.

Where the Spartans focused all their efforts on Warfare and even went as far as paying common folk to cook and clean their homes and city so that they could focus on their craft, it is the Samurai that I will be focusing on for now.

The Bushido Code can be summed up in a single word and that is, “Chivalry”. Treating others the way you wish to be treated, the ancient warrior class known as the Samurai of Japan did this very well and dedicated their lives to it.

They focused on perfecting all aspects of life, living to the fullest and showing their families as well as their enemies, the deepest respect. This was not always the case of course however this is what was taught as the true Way.

The Way was and still is quite simply, living life in every breath.

Photo by Krys Amon on Unsplash

By accepting that they were going to die and that every day could be their last, the Samurai woke up with this in mind and treated their families like they would never see them again and tasted every meal or cup of tea as if it was their last. Living life in this way some might see as exhausting however I say, “Why not”. Not only would they do this but they also dedicated their waking hours to the perfecting of anything that they undertook. They studied calligraphy, poetry, painting and tea ceremonies as well. The art of war was of course at the top of their list of duties. They trained profusely in swordsmanship, unarmed combat and archery. When challenged by a travelling swordsman in training, no Samurai worth his salt would turn him down. Sharing the seemingly reckless trait with our Greek heroes of old, the Spartans, the Samurai also included “pride” in their logic. They may have lost their lives in the challenges they faced. That did not mean that they backed down. They never gave up. They never backed down from a challenge. Even it meant the price they had to pay was their very lives.

Things are not as drastic in this day and age. We do not duel in the streets to the death simply to further our capabilities or skills. There is no need. The wars we wage against each other are now waged in the boardroom, courtroom, conferences, classrooms and the like. No longer are women given to men who deserved them and women can choose who they marry. In fact, these days women not only decide whom they marry, but it is the man who has to show that he is worthy, in most cases. There is a primal root to it all but that is not the story now…

The lesson I would like to focus on today is that we should be willing to stand our ground for what we believe in.

Even though these days it will not mean the cost of our lives, however, if we approached it with the same vigour and dedication, then we would certainly accomplish a lot more than we do when allowing ourselves to be influenced by our colleagues, friends and family or anyone else that deters us from the ultimate goal that we are striving to achieve.

Reaching the upper echelons of the industries that we now operate are not impossible if you have the determination to do so. Starting over and building something amazing which could last long after you are gone is still something to aspire to and strive for, regardless of what others may think of it.

Committing to a single goal and achieving it will help you set higher goals only for you to achieve them too. Never deter from what you believe in and never give up on what you dream of accomplishing.

“Only with an unbreakable spirit, will you always be victorious.” – Duane C. Carter

If you’ve enjoyed this short article and you’d like to support many more to come, caffeine keeps me going so if you’d like to buy me a coffee, I’d really appreciate it.

Thank you for reading.

Duane Carter