Become your own a Gladiator – Get into life’s arena and do battle for yourself. Lessons on how to stay vulnerable and open in the face of your critics.
Get into life’s arena and do battle for yourself. Like so many of us you may have stopped showing up for yourself a long time ago. You may have given up on dreams and withdrawn from taking the risks that would put you on the podium. We abhor feeling shame and a sense of feeling less-than. Other people have told us we are not good enough, and others are better than we are, and in doing so we feel slain. Oftentimes we don’t even realise that we have settled for mediocrity to avoid the critics and have exited the arena of life – exit stage left. We have all felt the horror’s of the feelings of inadequacy, embarrassment and shame and by the time we are adults even our subconscious brains are doing all they can to avoid ever feeling these feelings again. Thats how we build the walls of our own prisons and lock our true selves away. It is not how to become your own gladiator.
Love nothing but that which comes to you woven in the pattern of your destiny. For what could more aptly fit your needs?
Marcus Aurelius
If you are ever going to be yourself out there you will need to rise above the judgements, criticism and contempt of other people. People like your family and friends, your own boss or co-workers like you being entrenched in your same position and place. It makes them feel safe when you stay the same. It gives them more room to grow. But what I suggest to you today is to become your own gladiator and make sure that you can get yourself back into the arena of life. Stand tall and proud and don’t even wear a helmet, or mask for that matter. Being your true, authentic self requires that you become willing to walk into this arena naked and be seen for who you really are. There comes a time in life when we can no longer lay down our arms and be who others want us to be. People, much like life, are unpredictable and we don’t like not being able to predict outcomes. None of us do.
“Today I saw a slave become more powerful than the emperor of Rome”
Ridley Scott’s Gladiator
Anyone who puts themselves out there gets a dose of criticism, particularly from people who are too scared to walk into the arena’s spotlight themselves. Just look at the comments on people’s work in social media and imagine the pounding that one could take from these masked enemies. The attacks can be mortal and cruel beyond what the human heart can bear. Yet, the people who stay under the spotlight become like Gladiators who fend off their foe’s with presence, confidence and would you believe it, vulnerability. They stay open, feeling naked before the audience and they do it so that they can conquer themselves. They need to be who they are and need to do what they do in spite of the awkward feelings, the critics and the uncertainty and unpredictability of it all.
Let it be and be yourself, exactly as you are, whoever you are and let it come from whence it comes. What is truly important is who you are and what you do that is good and purposeful? Nothing else matters as James Hetfield reminds us. To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment said Emerson. He is indeed right! I have learned many lessons in life as you have. One of the most important is that the truth will, will out. It is the truth that will set you free from all your bondage. The bondage of self-doubt, depression and even loneliness and hopelessness or despair. You see, gladiators are like this. They have a passion for their mission and lead from the front and don’t dictate from the back. A gladiator always encourages himself and others to take risks keeping a cool calm composure and they are prepared for any battle all day long. This is how we need to be.
We don’t need to turn off and on like a light switch. When someone insults us we don’t need to retreat, nor do we need to pick up arms. Defence is after all the first act of war. All we need to be is to be our true selves and our presence will be felt soon enough. So whatever you need to do, whoever you need to become, do that. Get into life’s arena and do battle for yourself without the armour. Stay open and vulnerable instead of closing off in fear. This is how you overcome your shadow self. Fear is not real and we know this because it comes and goes. It rises up and then vanishes. Fear is always kind because it is always disappearing. So make sure you’re not the one to disappear! Let fear do that as it is only False Evidence Appearing Real, much like the people who you will do battle with in life. Under the kinks in their armour they are just like you and me. Afraid to be themselves sometimes.
When I think about how one would start to become your own gladiator I always remember one of the bravest and vulnerable men in the history of the world. The first president of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln said “If I care to listen to every criticism, let alone act on them, then this shop may as well be close. I have learned to do my best, and if the end result is good then I don’t care for any criticism, but if the end result is not good, then even the praise of ten angel’s would not make a difference. Get into life’s arena and do your best, because your best is who you really are.
#selfhelp #motivation #stoic #vulnerability
Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be One.
— Marcus Aurelius
Become your own gladiator and start our course with us today and free your mind, heart and soul. Then put them all forward, together, at once, to conquer this life as you should.