-Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervante
***
I can think of no other stark polar opposites than Love and War, save perhaps Life and Death. But then again, they're one and the same. I have spent a long time thinking about this subject. Examining, ingesting, digesting, practicing, adjusting, applying... It's an endless cycle, but one that needs to be maintained.
I think this grimness of thought has always been with me. Having been the only male in my family of my generation for the first 10 years of my life, with the only other male members of my family not having much involvement in my direct upbringing, I've always been of the mind of discovering my own place in the world. From the very beginning I have been a Seeker. The world wasn't harsh, it just was. The environment that I was in flourished with love and struggle, with love always coming out on top.
I heard tales of my grandpa, Lanny Bryant, and his journey to his Legend. About his life philosophy, mixing Christian mysticism and the sport of Wrestling, and his wonderful faith that had been cultivated in him by his own Father. I have never met a man more honorable in my entire life. And today, I honor him in planting the acorn of the warrior in my heart, because it has grown into a mighty Oak. Even though we disagree in matters of religion, I know we march to the same beat in terms of heart and soul.
I once heard Joe Rogan say, "show me a great man who is the son of a great man," well, I just showed you the son. And where my grandpa gave me the heart to persevere, my Great-grandfather gave me the strength to love through his daily practice and devotions of it in his life. He was a Christian Mystic through and through. His every breath was giving worship to his god and the life that he had been given. If anyone could have been said to have achieved the Christ-consciousness in this era, he'd be in the running for sure. And the way that he looked at his wife, with complete adoration and love, made it easier to fight against immediate gratification of my carnal desires, and the then satisfaction of them more complete.
The best compliment I could give of these men is that they truly walk with God.
In my own struggles I pull from the wisdom that these men have given me, and in fact have found it repeated in many other places throughout history, in different religions and philosophies. But I believe the greatest part about it is that they work in practical application. Beyond their greatness, they have truly shown me what it means to be a "good man." Through that goodness, I have come to understand the virtues and fruits of the soul.
I can think of no better time to share what they have taught me and what I have learned. I have journeyed far and wide, both inside and out. I have repaired my heart and soul with my own work. And I have fought for the opportunity of my lifetime without any deceit. I can tell you this as somebody who has fought for both love and war. If you fight in war, you fight in deception, but if you fight in love, it can only be in truth. That's the difference, and that is why in both, all is fair.
I think this grimness of thought has always been with me. Having been the only male in my family of my generation for the first 10 years of my life, with the only other male members of my family not having much involvement in my direct upbringing, I've always been of the mind of discovering my own place in the world. From the very beginning I have been a Seeker. The world wasn't harsh, it just was. The environment that I was in flourished with love and struggle, with love always coming out on top.
I heard tales of my grandpa, Lanny Bryant, and his journey to his Legend. About his life philosophy, mixing Christian mysticism and the sport of Wrestling, and his wonderful faith that had been cultivated in him by his own Father. I have never met a man more honorable in my entire life. And today, I honor him in planting the acorn of the warrior in my heart, because it has grown into a mighty Oak. Even though we disagree in matters of religion, I know we march to the same beat in terms of heart and soul.
I once heard Joe Rogan say, "show me a great man who is the son of a great man," well, I just showed you the son. And where my grandpa gave me the heart to persevere, my Great-grandfather gave me the strength to love through his daily practice and devotions of it in his life. He was a Christian Mystic through and through. His every breath was giving worship to his god and the life that he had been given. If anyone could have been said to have achieved the Christ-consciousness in this era, he'd be in the running for sure. And the way that he looked at his wife, with complete adoration and love, made it easier to fight against immediate gratification of my carnal desires, and the then satisfaction of them more complete.
The best compliment I could give of these men is that they truly walk with God.
In my own struggles I pull from the wisdom that these men have given me, and in fact have found it repeated in many other places throughout history, in different religions and philosophies. But I believe the greatest part about it is that they work in practical application. Beyond their greatness, they have truly shown me what it means to be a "good man." Through that goodness, I have come to understand the virtues and fruits of the soul.
I can think of no better time to share what they have taught me and what I have learned. I have journeyed far and wide, both inside and out. I have repaired my heart and soul with my own work. And I have fought for the opportunity of my lifetime without any deceit. I can tell you this as somebody who has fought for both love and war. If you fight in war, you fight in deception, but if you fight in love, it can only be in truth. That's the difference, and that is why in both, all is fair.
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