Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, ready for a deep dive that might just
surprise you. We're going to unlock some seriously valuable personal
growth advice. And get this, we're getting it from the
Art of War.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
You know, it's funny. You wouldn't think a text about
ancient warfare would be relevant to our daily lives. But
suns was onto something right.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
It's about conquering, but not on a battlefield, more like
conquering those goals, whatever they might be, you've always wanted
to achieve. So how does this his ancient military manual
help us land that dream job or finally stick to say,
a fitness routine.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Sun Zoo. He was all about strategy, right, understanding the
entire landscape before making a move, and that's where he
gets seriously relevant to us today. He said, no yourself
and you will win all battles.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Okay, so self awareness is key, got it? But I
feel like we hear that all the time?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Right.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
What makes his take on self awareness different?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
He goes deeper digs into the why. It's not just
about knowing your strengths. It's about understanding why certain things
work for you and honestly, maybe even more important, recognizing
those areas where you tend to trip yourself up.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
It's like, instead of just going through the motions, it's
about understanding the mechanics of how you.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Operate best exactly, analyze those past wins and those let's
be honest, not so much wins with a critical eye. See,
it's about identifying those patterns in your successes and yeah, failures,
to truly understand your strengths and weaknesses.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
So instead of beating yourself up for say, always procrastinating
on big projects, you'd use that self awareness to create
a strategy to work with that tendency.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Now you're getting it. Break those projects down into smaller
steps maybe, or build in rewards along the way. Work
with your natural tendencies, not against them. It's all strategic,
just like on the battlefield.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
So we've got the self awareness piece. What's the next
move in this personal growth battle plan?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Just like a general wouldn't, you know, send their troops
into battle without a solid plan, we shouldn't tackle our
goals without one either. Strategic plan is key.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Okay, So we're talking about setting those concrete goals, the
smart goals everyone's always talking about, But this time it's
like we've got this whole other layer of personal intel
to work with exactly.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
You've got to know the terrain of your own let's
call it personal battlefield. That's how you'll be ready for
those obstacles. And trust me, there will be obstacles.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
So let's say you know you tend to get sidetracked
by shiny new ideas when you're working on like a
big important project.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
You build in some buffer time, or you figure out
ways to minimize those distractions, especially during your peak focus hours.
It's about tailoring your approach based on yep, you guessed it,
your self knowledge.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
It's like designing a custom war room, but for your
own brain exactly. But even with the best plan, even
the most organized war room, let's be real, life rarely
goes exactly as plan, right.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
You're telling me, Yeah, and you know who else knew that, Sunsu.
That's why adaptability is another one of his big principles.
He talked about being like water, always adjusting to the terrain,
flowing around obstacles.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Okay, I like that. So how do we become more
like water in our own lives?
Speaker 2 (03:05):
You know?
Speaker 1 (03:05):
How do we roll with those unexpected punches?
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Keep your eyes open, be ready to adjust to change
direction if you need to. In war, Sensus said, the
way is to avoid what is strong and strike it
what is weak.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
It's like that Bruce Lee quote, be water, my friend, exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
It's not about being rigid. It's about knowing when that
initial plan needs a little tweaking and being flexible enough
to make it happen.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
So let's about forcing your way forward and more about
being strategic, being observant, and yeah, ready to pivot when
you need to. I'll be honest, I've definitely been guilty
of sticking to a plan even when it's clearly not working.
It's a recipe for disaster.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
We've all been there. It's all about learning from those moments, right. Remember,
being adaptable doesn't mean giving up. It's about finding the
most effective path to your goals, even when that path
well throws you a curveball.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
So being adaptable does that sometimes mean and like taking
a step back, you know, waiting for the right opportunity
instead of just charging ahead one.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Hundred percent sense. He was big on choosing your battle.
Timing is everything, Just like in war, sometimes the smartest
move in life is knowing when to well lie and wait.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Okay, so how do we figure that out? When to
make that move and when to hip pause. Especially these days,
it feels like there's this constant pressure to be you know,
on all the time, go go go.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
It's tough, it really is. And I think that's where
Suncy's whole emphasis on patients is so important. It's a marathon,
not a sprint. Yeah, you know, rushing into things without
thinking them through. I mean, that's how you get burned
out and.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
How you end up making choices that like totally miss
the mark exactly.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
So it's about finding that balance, knowing when to push
and when to well kind of recharge, regroup. You've got
to be tuned in to yourself and to what's happening
around you.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Like, even if an opportunity looks amazing on paper, if
you're running on fumes, it probably isn't the right moment
to like jump in with both.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
It's about more than just looking at things on paper.
You have to be honest with yourself about where you're at. Sons,
he said it best, he will win. Who knows when
to fight and when not to fight?
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Man, isn't that the truth? I'm so guilty of trying
to force things to happen on my own timeline and
you know what usually backfires.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Well, you're definitely not alone there wanting to be in control.
It's human nature, right. But that's the thing some zoo
teaches us. That true mastery, it comes from understanding the
natural order of things, the flow. Sometimes, you know, you
need to embrace that more patient, observant approach, trust that
the right opportunities they'll come along.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
I like that. It's like we have to become students
of our own lives, learning to read those signs, trust
our gut. But what about when things get tough, Even
when we feel like we're doing everything right, those setbacks
still pop up.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Oh absolutely, They're part of the process, right, part of
growth on the battlefield and just you know, in life.
But even in the middle of all that chaos, that's
where the opportunity is. It's all about It's like.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
That's saying, smooth seas never made a skilled sailor.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Right storms challenges they make us stronger. We figure out
how resilient we really are by going through those difficult times.
We discover things about ourselves we never knew.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
It's interesting though, because Sensu also talks about the supreme
art of war. He says it's about subduing the enemy
without actually fighting. How does that work when we're talking
about personal growth, it feels a little different.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
That's a great question. What he's getting at there is
the importance of cultivating inner peace, finding that balance even
when everything feels chaotic. Sometimes, you know, the greatest victories
are the ones we achieve within ourselves, mastering our reactions,
our emotions. It's not always about that external battle.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
It's about finding that calm in the storm, right, which,
let's be honest, is easier said than done a lot
of the time.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I'm with you there and something you have to work
at every single day. But the more you practice, the
better you become at handling those curve balls life throws
at you. You're able to face them with more grace,
more wisdom, and honestly, you're more able to appreciate the
journey even when it's messy and unpredictable.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
That makes me think about those people who always seem
so calm like, even when everything's falling apart around them,
they're completely unfazed. What's their secret?
Speaker 2 (07:16):
It's inner strength, and you build that through mindfulness, meditation,
even just you know, taking time to connect with nature,
it's about finding that stillness within, so we're not always
battling ourselves.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
It's about recognizing that true victory it comes from finding
that sweet spot, pushing ourselves to grow, yeah, but also
being kind to ourselves in the process, because let's face it,
we're all a work in progress.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Right one percent. And that brings us to another important principle,
consistency and discipline. Soon, Sue, you really believe that discipline
and order they're crucial for success, not just on the battlefield,
but in life too. Think about it. A well trained
army they rely on those things to win, and so
do we.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
So we're talking about like those daily habits, right, the
stuff that keeps us going even when, let's be real,
we'd rather just sit snooze exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
It's about that inner discipline showing up consistently, even when
it's just a small step. That's how you build lasting change.
Like Sunsu said, victory is a matter of preparation.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
You know. It makes me think about those athletes, the
ones who train for years, day in and day out,
for like these tiny moments of competition.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
It's wild, it really is. Or you know, artists who
dedicate hours and hours honing their craft, even when inspiration
is mia.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
It's that that dedication to showing up no matter what
that makes all the difference.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
It's not about being perfect, you know, every single day.
It's about putting in the work even when it's hard,
even when you'd rather be doing anything else. Those small
efforts they add up over time, big time.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
It's like Censu said, dripping water wears a way of stone,
not by force, but by persistence Rice exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
It's not about going from zero to one hundred overnight.
It's about steady, consistent effort, which I'll admit can be
tough these days.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Distractions everywhere, Eh, don't get me started on the distractions
so easy to get sucked in.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
It takes practice. You have to train yourself to resist
those quick fixes and stay focused on your real goals,
that long game. Remember what suns Zu said, to subdue
the enemy without fighting is the acme.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Of skill, powerful stuff.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
It's about recognizing that the greatest battles sometimes they're the
ones we fight within ourselves.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Right, We've covered so much today. It's amazing how the
art of war, you know, a book about military strategy
can be so relevant to our lives.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Sun Zoo's teachings. They're timeless. Self awareness, strategic planning, adaptability, patience, resilience.
It's all in there.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
It's like a blueprint for personal growth. Okay, So as
we wrap things up, is there one, like one key
takeaway you hope our listeners will carry with them?
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Just one? H Okay, how about this. Remember it's a journey,
not a destination. It's not going to be easy. There
will be challenges, but if you can embrace those principles,
those ideas we talked about today, you'll get through it,
and honestly, you'll be better for it, stronger, wiser.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
It's about becoming the general of your own life.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Yes, you've got the tools, you've got the knowledge. Now
go out there and create the future you want.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
This has been Wow, it's been really eye opening. Thanks
for guiding us through the wisdom of the art of war.
I never would have expected to get so much out
of it.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Glad to be here. It's always exciting to dig into
these classic texts and see how they apply to our
modern lives.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
And to everyone listening. We want to hear from you
what really resonated with you today. How can you apply
these strategies to your own life, join the conversation on
our website or social media, and until next time, keep exploring,
keep growing, and remember victory starts within.