2500 Years Later

War is a part of life. I am not talking about conventional warfare which consists in two competing armies. I am talking about a different war – a spiritual and psychological one. The war that everybody needs to fight and win.  

A little while back my wife purchased Sun Tzu's military masterpiece, "The Art of War." for my birthday (boy does she know me) Even though this ancient treatise was written for actual warfare, many of its lessons can be applied to daily living.

 Here are three of my favorite Art of War quotes: (remember... it's over two thousand years old)

1) "All warfare is based on deception."

    This is the fundamental truth about warfare.  All warfare is based upon deception and the enemy's ability to catch you off guard.  The way to win battles is to realize that your own mind can sometimes be an adversary and your adversary is playing tricks on you. Don't let your mind trick you into doing the lazy thing or taking the the easy way out. That is a sure fire way to lose a battle.  

2) "He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain."  

The key to survival in this life is adaptability.  The military has a saying which simply goes, improvise, adapt, overcome.  This maxim should serve as the basis for our lives. The New England Patriots head coach Bill Belechick is a modern day Sun Tzu in his ability to adapt his game plan depending on the strengths and weaknesses of his opponents.   He always keeps his opponents on their toes not knowing what to expect on a weekly basis. 6 super bowls later he has proven his point. If you are struggling in an area in your life, maybe you need to change your tactics.  If you are struggling at work, school, and are not getting the results that you want maybe a little change in your tactics can go a long way.

3) "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself, but not your enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.  If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

    One of the most important things in life is self knowledge. A good general first surveys his entire army, its strengths and weaknesses.  The same is true about yourself, if you know your strengths, weaknesses, limitations, and talents, you will be better able to compete and beat your enemies (within and outside) and be victorious in all fields of your life. It is important to remember that true self knowledge is not selfish -  it will even allow you to gain insights on how to effectively serve others.

The beauty of Sun Tzu's Art of War is that it can be applied to all areas in life.  To survive and thrive in this life one must be tough, gentle, flexible, shrewd, and cunning at the same time.  Jesus said this exact thing to his disciples when he sent them to evangelize the surrounding towns, "Be wise as serpents, but harmless as doves." Mt 10:16  I believe that this quote best exemplifies Sun Tzu's philosophy.