Feeling important makes one heavy, clumsy and vain. To be a warrior one needs to be light and fluid.
Carlos CastanedaRead
When one has nothing to lose, one becomes courageous. We are timid only when there is something we can still cling to.
Interpretation
Courage arises when we have nothing to protect or lose, revealing our true nature.
This quote by Carlos Castaneda highlights the idea that true courage often emerges when we find ourselves in situations of loss or complete vulnerability. When we have nothing left to lose, we are liberated from fear and can act more boldly, as our attachments and fears that normally bind us are stripped away, allowing us to confront life with a newfound bravery.
In practice
During a speech about personal growth, one might quote this to emphasize the importance of overcoming fear.
Feeling important makes one heavy, clumsy and vain. To be a warrior one needs to be light and fluid.
Only as a warrior can one withstand the path of knowledge. A warrior cannot complain or regret anything. His life is an endless challenge, and challenges cannot possibly be good or bad. Challenges are simply challenges.
It doesn't matter what one reveals or what one keeps to oneself. Everything we do, everything we are, rests on our personal power. If we don't have enough personal power the most magnificent piece of wisdom can be revealed to us and it won't make a damn bit of difference.
Beware of those who weep with realization, for they have realized nothing.
All paths lead nowhere, so it is important to choose a path that has heart.
All paths are the same: they lead nowhere. However, a path without a heart is never enjoyable. On the other hand, a path with heart is easy - it does not make a warrior work at liking it; it makes for a joyful journey; as long as a man follows it, he is one with it.
What makes climbing great for me, strangely enough, is this life-and-death aspect. It sounds trite to say, I know, but climbing isn't just another game. It isn't just another sport. It's life itself. Which is what makes it so compelling and also what makes it so impossible to justify when things go bad.
Women are strong. We can do it all. But not always at the same time.
When something an affliction happens to you, you either let it defeat you, or you defeat it.
Listeners, that brings us to the end of another Potterwatch. We don’t know when it will be possible to broadcast again, but you can be sure we shall be back. Keep twiddling those dials: the next password will be ‘Mad-Eye.’ Keep each other safe. Keep faith. Good night.
Turn on the faucet. Wash yourself with the emotion. It won’t hurt you. It will only help. If you let the fear inside, if you pull it on like a familiar shirt, then you can say to yourself, “All right, it’s just fear, I don’t have to let it control me. I see it for what it is".
The sea is dangerous and its storms terrible, but these obstacles have never been sufficient reason to remain ashore...unlike the mediocre, intrepid spirits seek victory over those things that seem impossible...it is with an iron will that they embark on the most daring of all endeavors...to meet the shadowy future without fear and conquer the unknown.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.