5 Day challenge last day
I did leave the easiest one for last. But then I started reading the book and I realized this is one of those times where you know you get what the words mean but the greater meaning is not as easy to grasp. This last one had the lowest page count and yet it made you think so much, in the end, it was not as easy to get through it as I had expected. Really good merit to the book.
A lot of the time that happens with some nonfiction books I need to reread them to get more out of them, that's what happened this time.
Anyhow the challenge itself was a great experience. I felt pressured but not overly so. It was just the necessary push to make myself get things done and with very reasonable goals. Once I started to get things done, the sense of accomplishment was enough to encourage me to keep going.
I will try something similar later on for sure!
On we go, now to talk about the book itself.
Title: The book of five rings
Author: Miyamoto Musashi
Genre: non-fiction
Original publication date: 1645
Book description:
The Book of Five Rings is one of the most insightful texts on the subtle arts of confrontation and victory to emerge from Asian culture. Written not only for martial artists but for anyone who wants to apply the timeless principles of this text to their life, the book analyzes the process of struggle and mastery over conflict that underlies every level of human interaction.
Thoughts:
This is a great book but you can't expect to get the wisdom cup on the first sip. This book was created with the purpose of guiding those who seek to master the art of fighting. As it is a very old text and written in another language there are plenty of translations out there. The very base of the principles expressed here can be applied to many other aspects of life.
I find it hard to discuss it, there is a lot of discussion about how to actually fight with swords as the intended audience is swordsmen. Those parts you can choose to see it as analogies or just read over them in an informative way. I know nothing of fighting at all but they did make pretty good sense.
Each person may get different details but overall a few of the messages here worth noting:
*Do not think dishonestly.
*Knowing something does not make you an expert, knowledge is nothing without training and practice. He repeats so many times, research, and train. It is a very true aspect of acquiring wisdom in anything really. Practice and research are the keys to success.
*Cultivate your wisdom and spirit. Get acquainted with multiple disciplines. You do not need to be an expert but get a general knowledge of everything.
*Care for others, do not make unreasonable demands on your people. This is very applicable to any team leader.
*Obtain intuitive judgment.
*Understand your enemy's strategy, his strength, and resources then develop a strategy to beat them. Be quick to assess their advantages so they do not catch off guard.
*Pay attention to even the small things; details of no consequence can prove to be much more important in hindsight.
*Attack in an unsuspecting manner and timing. Lead your enemy about and dance to your tempo.
*Avoid doing things of no use. I guess that translates to spending too much time idle. So social media for no other purpose than to scroll down and pass time is included here.
As mentioned before and I am not the first person to see it that way, this book can be applied to many aspects of life, and depending on what lenses you are reading it that's what you start to get.
Comments
Post a Comment