I want to start this post with a story from ancient Greece, of Strong Men. A war was raging in the Greek region and as Philip II of Macedon was conquering Greek cities and states left and right, Sparta was left alone. Philip had achieved a crushing victory, and Sparta was relatively weak and without walls. Philip sent a message to the Spartans saying, “If I invade Lakonia you will be destroyed, never to rise again.” The Spartans replied with one word, “IF”

I am fascinated by the Spartans. And it’s not because of the Movies or because people post cool pictures of Spartan warriors online. There is something more. They have discipline and valour.

You need to read between the lines to see it. They were great men, and I believe it was because of great self-discipline and self-induced suffering.

THE TESTING WEEKEND.

A couple of weeks ago I had a “testing weekend”. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. At one stage I had the suspicion that the universe was out to get me, and that some demon was assigned to me, to test and see if I could keep my calm.  Silly I know. The frustration, however, was real. And it took a lot of self-control to stay calm.  

The last “test” was when I miss judged my gate pole, smashing it with my truck. The truck was dented and scratched, and I had to replace the gate pole and fix the fence, not what I had planned for a Sunday afternoon.

My reaction surprisingly was one of calmness. It also surprised my wife, who was sitting next to me when I killed the gate pole and fence. She knew that a couple of years ago this would not have been the case. I would have freaked out, cursing, yelled, and break stuff. Cue a full-on rage fit. Her comment “I can’t believe you are so calm about all of this” got me thinking. Why exactly did I stay calm?

THE WHY TO “THE CALM”

It took me a week or so, but eventually, I figured it out. The why to my calm was the fact that I trusted myself, more than ever. This might not make sense at first but let me explain.

In the past, I would freak out about broken cars, lawnmowers, and leaking roofs. You know the things that get us all every day. This was because I had no confidence in my ability to make a plan and sort out the issue at hand. 

I did not lack the skills to do the work, but it was the fact that things went wrong, that upset me. I went all doom and gloom because of a small issue, and it became a “The world is ending type of deal” Bringing about frustration and emotional reactions I did not care for.

I did not trust myself enough to see the proverbial rainbow on the other end of the issue. And how could I? I promised myself hundreds of times that I will start working out, and I did not. I promised myself hundreds of times I will get up early in the mornings and still I hit that snooze button. So, if things fell apart why would I believe that things will be, ok? Especially if the “it will be ok” came from me.

The flood of emotions that came with trouble was because of self-doubt and lack of confidence. So, when everything seemed upside down on my “testing weekend” I simply kept my emotions in check. Reminded myself that this was not my first rodeo, and I focused on a possible solution.  

When I crashed into the gate pole, I acknowledged that I messed up, I accepted that the fence and the truck need fixing. It’s going to cost extra money I don’t necessarily have now, but I trust in my ability to make a plan. And I moved on with my day. No amount of reaction or cursing was going to change that.

Reading twelve rules for life, and a friend leading by example unconsciously steered me in this direction. Bettering the relationship with myself. Keeping commitments. Keeping the promises, I made. Doing this every day changed my reaction to the troubles of life. Saying you will start that workout routine and, doing it builds confidence. Promising yourself that you will stop eating crap and take better care of yourself builds trust.

It might seem small and insignificant at first but if you do what you promise yourself, in time it creates an unstoppable internal force.

THE SPARTAN’S

I believe when the Spartan’s replied with “IF” it was accompanied by manly confidence, certainty, and strength. They trusted themselves enough to say “There is a very good chance that you (Philip) will try, and you will fail”

The Spartan’s knew this because they achieved the goals, they set out for themselves. They paid their dues with hard work and discipline. They did not freak out and think that they are going to be slaughtered and killed. There was no Spartan vs. Philip Whats-App group created. They did not start a “Save The Spartan’s Organization” Nor did they discuss and complained about their predicament. They simply said “IF” and went about their lives.

Philip eventually decided to bypass Sparta as it was a poor region and not worth the fight. Neither Philip nor Alexander attacked the Spartans while they ruled. I believe they bypassed the Spartans because they knew it would be one hell of a fight.

Trusting in your ability to make a plan as a strong man will kill hopelessness and worry in your life. You will start to see every hardship as a challenge instead of a dreaded problem. A chance to grow stronger. And in time if you win enough battles, you will become trustworthy (to yourself) and this will make you unshakable.

CONCLUTION.

Men were created with greatness in mind. To achieve this greatness, we need to trust our inner warrior. We need to trust the abilities given to us, as men.

I am sure the Spartan’s way of thinking was IF you attack, although we seem weak and tired. Although the situation looks hopeless. We will make a plan and overcome. 

Unfortunately, life’s troubles will not simply bypass you. It will come knocking. Sometimes harder than anticipated. But remember if trouble does come your way this week, with promises of destruction, simply reply with an IF  

THE STRONG