Become Greater Ep. 48 - Indomitable Spirit

In this episode, we delve into the powerful essence of indomitable spirit, distinguishing it from mere perseverance. Drawing on experiences as an athlete, martial artist, and fitness coach, we explore indomitable spirit as the unwavering hope and internal conviction that fuels our resilience. Discover how this inner strength empowers us to choose our principles, maintain control of self, and navigate life's challenges with the firm belief in eventual victory.Key Takeaways:

• Beyond "Never Give Up": Indomitable spirit adds the crucial element of hope and the belief in eventual success to the act of perseverance.
• Hopeful Persistence: Unlike blind stubbornness, indomitable spirit fuels adaptable and intelligent effort, akin to a scientist driven by a belief in their hypothesis.
• Control of Self: Indomitable spirit is the internal strength that prevents external forces from dominating your choices, values, and inner resolve.
• The Power of Choice: All the tenets of martial arts – courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control – are rooted in the fundamental principle of free will, a core aspect of indomitable spirit.
• Freedom To, Not Just Freedom From: True freedom lies not in the absence of structure, but in the ability to consciously choose to live by principles that enable growth and purpose.
• Structure Enables Excellence: Like the rules of baseball provide a framework for players to strive for mastery, chosen principles provide structure for a meaningful life.
• Internal Sovereignty: Indomitable spirit protects your inner compass, allowing you to remain true to your values even in the face of adversity.
• The Foundation of Resilience: This inner conviction is the bedrock upon which unwavering resilience and the ability to face challenges with hope are built.

Common Pitfalls:

• Confusing blind stubbornness with true indomitable spirit, leading to repetitive ineffective actions.
• Allowing external pressures or attempts at domination to erode your sense of self-control and chosen values.
• Seeking "freedom from" all structure, which can lead to a lack of direction and hinder personal growth.
• Underestimating the power of consciously choosing your guiding principles for a more purposeful life.
• Losing sight of the inherent hope that fuels genuine perseverance.

Turning Obstacles into Advantages:

• Using setbacks as opportunities to adapt strategies while maintaining a belief in eventual success.
• Strengthening your internal locus of control by consciously choosing your responses to external pressures.
• Recognizing that embracing a chosen structure can lead to greater personal freedom and achievement.
• Cultivating a deep-seated hope that fuels your resilience in the face of challenges.

The Deeper Work:

• Reflecting on your core values and consciously choosing the principles that guide your life.
• Developing self-awareness to recognize when your actions are driven by hope versus mere stubbornness.
• Strengthening your internal conviction in your ability to overcome challenges and achieve your goals.
• Practicing conscious choice in your daily actions, reinforcing your sense of self-control and autonomy.

Call to Action:

• Identify Your Guiding Principles: Take time this week to explicitly list the core principles that you believe should guide your life.
• Distinguish Hope from Stubbornness: Reflect on a recent challenge. Was your persistence fueled by a hopeful belief in eventual success, or by a mere refusal to quit?
• Assess Your Choices: Examine an area of your life where you feel your choices might be dictated by external pressures. How can you reclaim your sense of conscious choice in that area?
• Embrace Your "Rules": Consider the "rules" or personal code you live by. How do these contribute to your sense of purpose and inner strength?
• Share Your Insights: What are some of the core principles that guide your life and fuel your indomitable spirit?

Join the conversation on social media: @joe_cebula

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome back to the podcast everyone. We're continuing our exploration
of the five tenants of the martial arts and how
those powerful principles offer invaluable guidance for navigating all aspects
of our lives. Now, when we list the tenants courtesy, integrity, perseverance,
self control, and indomitable spirit, you might notice a close

(00:25):
kinship between perseverance and indomitable spirit. In our discussion on perseverance,
we emphasized that it's the skill of getting back up
after being knocked out, the refusal to ever truly give up.
I often think of perseverance as the action of rising
after a fall, the repeated effort in the face of adversity.

(00:47):
So if perseverance means never giving up, why is indomitable
spirit listed as a separate, distinct tenant. What's the crucial
difference that warrants its own place in this foundational code.
The key, I believe lies in the vital element of hope,
the unwavering internal conviction that eventually victory will be yours.

(01:10):
Indomitable spirit encompasses a profound sense that your efforts are
not futile, that you're not just rising to be knocked
down again, and again with no purpose. It's not merely
a blind, stubborn refusal to quit, nor is it a
sense that you have no other option but to keep
trying out of desperation. It's a deeper, more resilient force.

(01:32):
Think about stubbornness for a moment. If someone is truly stubborn,
it's often rooted in a refusal to accept defeat. And
why do they refuse to accept defeat? Because somewhere within them,
perhaps not always consciously articulated, there's an unwavering belief that
they can ultimately be victorious. But indomitable spirit takes this

(01:56):
a step further. It's not just the refusal to lose
us by blindly repeating the same ineffective actions. Instead, it's
akin to a scientist who has a fundamental belief in
their hypothesis, even when faced with experiment after experiment yielding
negative results. Their indomitable spirit fuels them to keep going,

(02:17):
not just repeating the same steps, but constantly analyzing, adapting
their tactics, and designing new experiments, driven by the deep
seated conviction that the truth is out there and that
it is discoverable. This hopeful persistence, this intelligent and adaptive
drive is the essence of indomitable spirit. Now, let's break

(02:39):
down the word indomitable. To be indomitable means that no
one can dominate you. No one can take away your
control of self. It's about maintaining your inner sovereignty. No
external force can make you be courteous. True courtesy springs
from a chosen attitude. No one can force you to

(03:00):
display integrity. Integrity is a personal commitment to your own values.
No one can compel you to keep getting back up
after countless defeats. That resilience comes from your own inner strength.
And certainly, no one can dictate your thoughts and feelings
to you. Those are the realm of your own mind.

(03:20):
All of these tenants, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control are
fundamentally rooted in the notion of your own choice, your
own free will, that core of self that remains unconquerable.
And I believe that's the most crucial takeaway, The most
important lesson we glean from the study of martial arts,

(03:42):
the power of conscious choice. I choose to live by
a set of rules, a code, these very tenets. I'm
not forced to adhere to them. I'm not coerced through study,
through training, through the experience of both victory and defeat,
I have come to recognize that the only path to
true freedom in my life is the freedom to live

(04:04):
it according to my own conscious choices, aligned with principles
I believe in. Now, this isn't freedom from rules or
freedom from regulation. It's the freedom to be who I
want and choose to be, and often that very freedom
necessitates structure. Consider trying to play a baseball game without
umpires or a clearly defined set of rules. It quickly

(04:27):
descends into chaos. While players might be free from external authority,
the game itself loses meaning and integrity. Even with clearly
defined rules and highly specialized umpires, disagreements and arguments still
arise even at the highest levels of the game, highlighting

(04:47):
the inherent need for a shared framework. But imagine a
game without any agreed upon framework. If we don't all
agree that a run is scored when a run across
is home played, what game are we even playing If
we don't have a system of balls and strikes. If
we arbitrarily change how many outs constitute an inning, we

(05:08):
might be engaged in something that vaguely resembles baseball, but
it lacks the very essence of the sport. Sure, in
that chaotic scenario, you might be free from the tyrannical
rule of an umpire, but you can never truly become
the best baseball player, except perhaps in your own isolated mind.
With constantly shifting in subjective standards, you can never truly

(05:32):
measure your progress or strive for a recognized level of excellence,
because the very goalposts are constantly moving. And that's the
crucial point. We cannot lose sight of structure. Agreed upon
principles are essential for meaningful progress and achievement everywhere in
our lives. We need guidelines, principles to help us maintain

(05:53):
our integrity, enabling us to exercise self control and choose
to be courteous. If all of this is forced upon us,
if we feel like we're living under a tyrannical regime
of rules, our natural inclination is to rebel, to resist
that external pressure. But when we learn and cultivate an
indomitable spirit, we make a fundamental shift. We become free

(06:16):
to choose the rules by which we live, recognizing their
value in guiding our actions and shaping our character. I
like these rules, these tenants of the martial arts. They've
proven their value and utility in my life. I have
consciously chosen to embrace them, not out of obligation, but
out of a deep understanding of their power. Now, I'm

(06:38):
not going to stand here and pretend that this is
the only set of rules that works, or that it's
my way or no way at all. But I can
promise you if you genuinely give these principles a try,
if you approach them with an open mind and a
willingness to integrate them into your life, you will likely
begin to experience the transformative power. So I leave you
with this fundamental question. A challenge goes beyond mere reflection.

(07:03):
What are the core principles that truly guide your life?
Are they consciously chosen or have you simply adopted them
by default? Take the time this week to truly examine
the foundations upon which you are building your life. That
self awareness is the first step in cultivating an indomitable
spirit and living a life of true freedom and purpose.

(07:26):
Thank you for lending me your attention today. I truly
appreciate you taking the time to help explore these ideas
with them. Now, go out there and live your best lives.
Guided by your own indomitable spirit,