The art of building the impossible.
For someone with self-confidence, the impossible exists only for as long as the solution is not found.
The biggest surprises come when we discover that the impossible is the result of energy savings.
We all start off with the same tools. The ones we share with all living beings and the tools that only humans use.
What we get will depend on how we use them to “do the unnatural”.
From the caves to today's commands
There are two schools from which we can learn. They have answers to everything.
The first school is useful to any living being and holds the foundations of life. It guarantees the existence of more than seven and a half million species.
The second school is useful to humans and is a result of the effectiveness of the first school when it reaches consciousness. It is what enables us to do what is not “natural”.
You do not need previous studies, talent, money, beauty, intelligence, or willpower in order to “enrol” into these schools. The only requirement is to be alive.
If you apply the contents of the subjects studied there in a balanced manner, the results are guaranteed. In order to graduate, you need good performance in the basic subjects. The first one, “feeling”, is the universal language with which you can learn any other subject. The second one is “commitment”, which binds us to any challenge. The third is “determination”, that triggers any action in any circumstance. The fourth is the “discipline” needed to fuel commitment and action. The fifth is the “persistence” needed to ensure every journey. And the sixth one is “imagination”, which is the most powerful human weapon. Knowing how to use it makes the impossible easy.
There are two headteachers: the first, the most senior one, takes care of balancing our vital health, it is called “homeostasis”. The second one takes care of balancing our motivation—it is called “imagination”—and shifts our focus towards what suits us best.
The school of nature
What lies behind life, from bacteria to plants and animals.
- The principle of everything? Energy—it is the currency of life.
- What is necessary? Balance, the right dose. Nothing good or nothing evil.
- Feeling as language? Pain and pleasure as thermostats.
- Who balances it all? Homeostasis.
No life would be safe without pain. No pleasure would exist without pain.
Every living being defends itself when it feels threats to their survival, automatically using the weapons they have created in the right dose. When new threats arise, they slowly evolve, adapt, and improve their solutions to deal with these threats.
These are the tools that Homeostasis uses in its work:
- Commitment (to life),
- Focus (on threats),
- Determination (to act),
- Discipline (to evolve).
It is the school of our biology that uses “feeling” to find out what is wrong, that seeks solutions and adapts the defence system to fight.
The school of humans
In humans, in addition to “the feel”, there are feelings, emotions, reason, mind, and conscience. These additional weapons have made progress possible. And technology has created leverage that enhances existing weapons, but it has also created other threats (saboteurs), whether real or imaginary.
This school is ours alone and we can look to it for solutions to our problems and challenges.
It uses “motivation” as currency, expectations and time as balancing parameters, and feeling as language. The manager is called imagination. These are the tools that the manager uses in its work:
- Commitment (to getting it done),
- Focus (on the saboteurs),
- Determination (to begin and to face it),
- Discipline (to persist).
The ability to use imagination produces the intensity of the flame that will cast light on the solutions we are looking for, as well as the energy to do what needs to be done at the right time. With the latter, we can maximise the abilities of the former, save time, and save a lot of energy. We can even learn to use that spare time to live the life that we desire.
Attitudes in a school of war
Commitment
Unequivocal. It should come with honour and excellence, with the institution’s codes of conduct, with respect for hierarchy and leadership, regardless of value judgements. With “prompt” action, without backing down.
Determination
It allows one to begin, relying on triggers, conditioned responses, facing that which is difficult. The orders are clear, brief, and end abruptly, leaving no room for thought. Tactics demand automatic execution.
Discipline
Consistent, intense, gradual but quick work, starting with simple actions, but unavoidable such as: united order, organisation of living and work spaces, care for respect, punctuality, dedication, responsibility, posture, hygiene, and the uniform. The standard of excellence is set. In addition, organising the spaces where you live and work strengthens the mind and creates habits. In short, “think less and do more”.
Persistence
For converting tactics into habits of behaviour (attitudes). Educating the inner voice with small, heartfelt victories (just one more second, one more minute, one more day).
Overcoming
Physical conditioning that gradually raises the thresholds of overcoming, always in the most difficult and stressful environments. It is a true school of emotional intelligence. It teaches you to resist impulses, to take pleasure in pain, to improve your own marks every day. Competing with yourself.
Trust
When one feels what went right or wrong and how one prevailed, motivation arises. The certainty of a positive outcome is consolidated and it leads to the reward, the feeling of being a superman, capable of facing any threat.
An upright, confident, careful posture. Always prepared for the worst, but hoping for the best.
Fear is defeated with confidence.
Courage
For getting it done at the right time and facing it without backing down.
Resilience
If you started it, then you should finish it.
Beliefs
Only those who make mistakes die. They will be trained not to make mistakes.
Purpose
Clear.
Training
In tactics. In physical skills for high performance, kinaesthetic ability, and acuity of the senses. Attentive listening. Intense training, with no room for thoughts of past experiences and limiting beliefs.
Imagination
For anticipating scenarios and having realistic expectations.
Creativity
For finding solutions to achieve a progressively better and easier individual performance.
Focus
On the present. Because of their unusual nature, the practices teach us to quickly shift our focus and to live in the present.
Leadership
By example. Based on honour: impeccably uniformed officers and sergeants, well-trimmed hair and beard, clean uniform. Nothing is asked of them that they cannot exemplify. Confidence-inspiring.
No-one explains why things are the way they are, because nobody knows it themselves. Everyone ends up finding that it works, and that is enough.
Getting things done is more important than having the knowledge.
The objective—to win the war without casualties—turns into purpose over time.
This is where the school of feeling begins. Nobody explains it, it is automatic. You only learn to face and resist without retreating.