Discovering the Warrior Within

Tucked away in the serenity of Hamilton Island, there was no doubt that I was being coaxed and inspired. Parts of my soul I had long since stored away were now coming back to greet me, treasures hidden within my being. I had to shuffle the sand around to reveal them and their gleam. And it was the dawn of the internal warrior shining brightly in my eyes that I am most thankful for!

It was under a full moon when the cogs were set into motion. Earlier that day, I was invited to a gathering under the stars by my good friend Josiah who I spoke about in the previous story. I knew that it was an occasion I couldn't miss - so I went along. It was a group of people celebrating the moon on the waterfront - just the kind of thing I love! Good vibes were flowing like rivers in the air, and we shared humorous anecdotes and laughter all soothed by the strum of a guitar and moon beams bouncing off the water.

One guy suddenly exploded with energy as if possessed by the moon. He bounced up from his position like like a spring, running around the field quite sporadically. There was something about the way he expelled his energy that struck a fond chord within my soul. Within moments, I was reminded  of my childhood, to a time when I used to practice Kung fu. The memory hit me like a plot twist to a movie. It was a potent memory, and spilled it's alchemy throughout my whole body. Within moments, I got up and launched myself into a set of Kung fu movements that I somehow remembered. To my surprise, I performed the motions almost seamlessly, although lacking the same flexibility and lustre I once had as a child.

Within a single minute, sweat beads were rolling down my temples, and I was exhausted. I collapsed back into the circle of surprised faces, feeling the best I had felt since arriving on the island months before. It was as if I just released a coffin of bricks from inside my body. One guy was looking at me with an extra spark of fascination. "You're body has lots of Qi!" he exclaimed. I was puffing uncontrollably, and could only gesture to express my interest. I had heard of Qi before, but didn't actually know what it was. "It's energy," he stated. "By the looks of those movements, you can command the Qi, and let it flow through your body almost effortlessly." Pure astonishment shook me from inside out. Had I had just pried open Pandoras box of my soul?

Kung fu was the king of my mind for the next few weeks. I was mostly astonished by the fact that this power and ability had been within me for all these years, dormant. While it was great to rediscover my kung fu abilities, it actually had much wider implications than I anticipated at the time.

I found my own little Dojo on the island - a pleasant wooden structure overlooking this secret pond in the corner of the island - and started practicing Kung fu again by myself. My mind and attitudes had matured a lot since I trained Kung fu as a kid, and I was now approaching the practice from a deeper perspective. I saw it as much more then just a way I could train my body and stay fit and healthy - I saw it as a way I could harness the inner warrior, become more virtuous, and cultivate my character. I wanted to improve this side of my being - by focussing on attributes like endurance, strength, courage, tolerance, faith, compassion, and the will to follow my hearts true calling. The life I was envisioning for myself required a lot of me, and I had to step up to the challenge. So I started practicing Kung fu!

But even more profound was the calling from within. Kung fu was just one element among many of my past, and if it managed to emerge many years after I stopped practicing, I wondered how many other parts of my authentic self were hiding within the inner reaches of my being. And then it became clear to me:

To have a better understanding of who I am, I needed to look within my past for the secrets.

I knew that I could develop a better understanding of my authentic self and what I'm here to do in this lifetime by undertaking the journey within. It required a lot of rummaging through all the baggage, but I knew that tucked away somewhere in that old chest of draws was an insignia that would enlighten me on the way forward.

You can seek advice from gurus and masters for years, or wait for the answers from the universe, but nobody is going to hand you the key to unlock the secrets of your own being. The journey within is always beckoning, and only you can make the decision to walk it. Add the inner warrior to your party, and you are bound to succeed!