To have and to want to have more—growth, in one word—that is life itself.
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
The greatest conquest is the conquest of the self.
The greatest battle that you and I or anyone can fight, is the battle to overcome The Resistance within that causes us to sell-out.
The Resistance that drives us to give up our dreams and potential for greatness.
To sell our very birthright for as Caesar stated, “A little bread and a little circus” that will keep us content.
Will you fight?
Dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing
to trade all the days from this day to that for just one chance,
just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they
may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!
~ Braveheart
In this series I’d like us to explore 4 stages of the fight that all leaders must go through and conquer to access and actualize their greatness.
I’ve been a fan of Friedrich Nietzsche all the way back to my college years if not further.
Nietzsche believed, contrary to many popular opinions, that the ultimate drive for the human species was not survival. This is way too cowardly a drive.
Will You Conquer or Quit?
The ultimate drive for the species is what he called, “The Will to Power.”
The greatest power a leader can possess is not the power over others,
it’s the power over himself. His habits, drives, appetites, failures and fears.
I will draw heavily upon Nietzsche’s work in this treatise.
Let’s do a quick overview of the 4 stages that we’ll be exploring, and we’ll come back in future blogs and explore each one more fully:
- The Warrior
- The Scholar
- The Leader
- The Sage
Please note that while our ongoing conversations are centered on leadership, in this abbreviated model there are at least two stages (actually more that we won’t discuss at this time), that are precursors to even stepping into a stage of True Leadership.
And in this discussion, there is a 4th stage and more that moves beyond.
Next week, we’ll discuss more fully The Warrior, who he is, and the battle he must fight.
Are you willing to fight for your freedom?
If you think, “James I live in a free country and I am free?”
Are you certain about that?
How can you be?
Where did your current goals and dreams come from?
Why are you attracted to certain things? Cars, clothes, labels and styles?
Did YOU come up with those desires?
There is no value in lying to yourself.
It’s time to Take Your Power Back!
Will you fight?
Be a Leader. Live Your Purpose; and Take Your Power Back!
James
