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Daily Reflection 3.09.21
Mar. 9th, 2021 11:16 amSun Tzu tells us:
This brings up a point which I don't think that we've discussed here. About ten years back I was doing a wilderness first responder certification, and the instructor made the point that while we need to be aware of the obstacles in our path, our focus needs to be on what we want to achieve. He gave the example of mountain biking. If a cyclist stares at a rock, they will hit it; if they look at a drop off, they'll go down it; but if they keep their eyes on the trail, they'll stay on the trail.
In a similar way, General Sheridan tells us that General Grant's opponents were focused on Grant himself, with the result that they were unable to accomplish their own goals.
And Sun Tzu tells us that the key to maintaining this advantage is secrecy.
Now we're back on familiar territory. The advice remains: Don't tell people your goals. Not your enemies, certainly, but also not your family members and close friends. Very often, no matter how much they love you, they're so used to a certain version of you that they can't bear the thought of you changing. (It might mean that they'd have to change.) So don't tell them; let them find out afterward.
And to the extent that you can, don't tell yourself your goals either. This is why recovery groups use the slogan "one day at a time." You're not quitting booze or heroin for the rest of your life. Just for today. You're not meditating or running or writing or practicing your guitar every day for the rest of your life. You're just doing it today, or just right now. Tomorrow will take care of itself.
But while you're at it, don't spend your time focusing on the way that you could fail or how things could go wrong. You need to know these things, of course-- and that's part of knowing your Enemy. But if you make failure the central focus of your consciousness, you'll only accomplish bringing it about.
The spot where we intend to fight must not be made known; for then the Enemy will have to prepare against a possible attack at several different points; and his forces being thus distributed in many directions, the numbers we shall have to face at any given point will be proportionately few.
To this our translator appends the note,Sheridan once explained the reason of General Grant's victories by saying that "While his opponents were kept fully employed wondering what he was going to do, he was thinking most of all of what he was going to do himself."
This brings up a point which I don't think that we've discussed here. About ten years back I was doing a wilderness first responder certification, and the instructor made the point that while we need to be aware of the obstacles in our path, our focus needs to be on what we want to achieve. He gave the example of mountain biking. If a cyclist stares at a rock, they will hit it; if they look at a drop off, they'll go down it; but if they keep their eyes on the trail, they'll stay on the trail.
In a similar way, General Sheridan tells us that General Grant's opponents were focused on Grant himself, with the result that they were unable to accomplish their own goals.
And Sun Tzu tells us that the key to maintaining this advantage is secrecy.
Now we're back on familiar territory. The advice remains: Don't tell people your goals. Not your enemies, certainly, but also not your family members and close friends. Very often, no matter how much they love you, they're so used to a certain version of you that they can't bear the thought of you changing. (It might mean that they'd have to change.) So don't tell them; let them find out afterward.
And to the extent that you can, don't tell yourself your goals either. This is why recovery groups use the slogan "one day at a time." You're not quitting booze or heroin for the rest of your life. Just for today. You're not meditating or running or writing or practicing your guitar every day for the rest of your life. You're just doing it today, or just right now. Tomorrow will take care of itself.
But while you're at it, don't spend your time focusing on the way that you could fail or how things could go wrong. You need to know these things, of course-- and that's part of knowing your Enemy. But if you make failure the central focus of your consciousness, you'll only accomplish bringing it about.
