The Importance of Willpower and Discipline

Now and then I like to share material from other teachers, authors, and thinkers that I find to be valuable for students and for people in general. This is one such piece of material. While approached from the practical perspective of a former Navy Seal, Jocko Willink, this book perfectly encapsulates the essence of the Alchemical path. That essence is Will. In Chinese this is known as Zhi, one of the Wu Shen (Five Spirits) which resides in the kidneys. It is the source of our drive, our resolve, and our determination. This area of the body (the lower back) is associated with the Mingmen (the Door of Life) and the "backbone," synonymous with courage, bravery, and strength.

As I rant about ad nauseum, one of if not the most pressing problems facing not only the modern qigong or martial arts practitioner but our society and culture as a whole is the complete and utter lack of willpower that has become absolutely ubiquitous. Without a powerful internal force of Will, we are slaves to our circumstances, our emotions, our appetites. In essence, we become what we see in society today - a vast sea of infantile, irrational, emotionally stunted, unhealthy, bitter, spiteful, envious, easily offended, deranged narcissists who haven't the strength to endure an insult or a disagreement, let alone the rigors of this great crucible we know as life.

With that said, I leave the rest to the audiobook below. It is blunt and direct, and for many will be seen as harsh and potentially offensive in some areas. If this is the case for you, good. Consider that part of yourself that takes offense. Consider what it is that cuts at you, and why you feel the way you do. I use this tactic in my teaching as well to draw out areas that need refining in my students, and in myself. Especially in the spiritual and energetic arts where many modern practitioners are, to put it bluntly, too soft for the true work. This brutally pragmatic perspective is one well worth experiencing, and it is crucial to reach the essence of real Alchemy.

The "airy-fairy," "love and light" hippie approach popular in modern spirituality simply doesn't cut it in authentic training. This is a basic fact that I've observed as one who has been fortunate enough to have had a number of accomplished teachers along the Alchemical and martial path who were not only powerful energetic and spiritual practitioners but also decorated military men. This is much more in line with the traditional teachings, where the ancient masters were military men as well as sages. I've seen both sides in modern practice, and I'll tell you plainly there is just no comparison in depth of skill. A large part of the reason for that lies in what you will hear in this book. Alchemy requires Will. Will is cultivated through discipline.

Enjoy. And when you're done, DO.