Life Lessons From A Samurai Master

A short while back, The Pacific, a $120 million miniseries backed by Hollywood heavyweights Spielberg and Hanks, premiered on TV. It depicted the glory and might of the U.S. Marines as they battled the Japanese in WWII.

While the miniseries slanted heavily towards the American viewpoint, it would have been interesting to see the story touch upon how a tiny, poor island nation mobilized its military forces and conquered a massive area of the Pacific Ocean in a short period of time.

After the devastation of war, I'm amazed at how within only 30-40 years Japan rebuilt itself and became the world's second-largest economy. Answers may be found by looking further back into history - about 300 years to be precise.

A mentor introduced me to the writings of Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's most famous combat strategist and master samurai who lived from 1584-1645. It is said that much of Japan's recovery and rise as a global technology and business powerhouse is rooted in ancient code of the samurai and in the writings of Musashi.

Musashi's most famous writing, The Book of Five Rings, is interpreted by many all over the world today in business and in life. Here are a few of Musashi's principal concepts that I find the most inspiring and applicable to me personally and professionally.

Be Prepared - Know yourself, your weapons, your surroundings, and your competitor. The more prepared you are for the expected and unexpected the more successful you will be. My favorite take on this concept is the familiar saying, "fail to plan, plan to fail!"

Make Sure You See The Big Picture - Musashi says the human mind is like water in a stream...it looks the same but it is always moving. In combat, Musashi emphasized keeping an open mind. Avoid focusing solely on an opponent's face, body or weapon, because it prevents you from seeing the whole scene. The message here in life is to never focus on one thing long enough to prevent you from seeing everything else going on at the same time.

Never Stop Learning - The practice of continual learning is an integral part of the Japanese way of life. Samurai had to continue honing their skills as warriors because their lives depended on it; but, Musashi also believed that to become a true strategist, one had to understand other professions and master other art forms, such as writing or painting.

Surpass Today What You Were Yesterday - Your focus and dedication must be ongoing and never wane. Strive each day to exceed the you of yesterday.