Miyamoto Musashi on facing your opponent...

"Since olden days many opinions have been expressed about which part of an opponent one should look at [during a duel] but the majority of people have supported staring at an opponent's face. When so doing, the eyes should be narrower than usual but the mind should be broad. The eyeballs should not move and when the opponent is near they should be focused as though they were looking into the distance. In this way, a man can look at not only his opponent's face but his whole body, thus being able to anticipate any offensive thrusts he might make. In my opinion, there are two kinds of eyes: one kind simply looks at things and the other sees through things to perceive their inner nature. The former should not be tense [so as to observe as much as possible]; The latter should be strong [so as to discern the workings of the opponent's mind clearly]. Sometimes a man can read another's mind with his eyes. In fencing, it is all right to allow your own eyes to express your will but never let them reveal your mind. This matter should be considered carefully and studied diligently."- Miyamoto Musashi  

Loyalty...

“The greater the loyalty of a group toward the group, the greater is the motivation among the members to achieve the goals of the group, and the greater the probability that the group will achieve its goals.”—Rensis Liker

Look me in the eyes...

"Look me in the eyes. Its okay if you're scared. So am I, but we're scared for different reasons.I'm scared of what I wont become, you're scared of what I could become. Look at me. I won't let myself end where I started. I won't let myself finish where I began. I know what is within me...even if you cant see it yet. Look me in the eyes.I have something more important than courage. I have patience. I will become what I know I am". - Michael Jordan

Never give in...

“Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” - Winston Churchill

All we have is faith...

“He who has faith has... an inward reservoir of courage, hope, confidence, calmness, and assuring trust that all will come out well - even though to the world it may appear to come out most badly. “- B. C.Forbes

Sometimes in life, all we have is FAITH. The inner strength and will, to know that even under the worst circumstances, things will always work out. It’s funny to say, but sometimes my business partner and I think we have a guardian angel following us. Whether it is an angel guarding us, luck, or even probability, life will always take its course for the best.

I hate to admit it, but there are times when I am faced with life’s wonderful anxieties. But that’s when think about my fellow Marines in Afghanistan and state to myself…”Damn, I could be back in the Marines and on deployment!” That’s when this young lad just takes a deep breath, says a little prayer, and laugh’s it off. For the quality of your life, definitely starts with the quality of your attitude.

I guess it is safe to correlate courage, hope, confidence and calmness with FAITH. Forbes definitely has it down to a “T”. For faith is just an assuring trust that all will come out well. It is only when you can trust yourself, that you will learn to trust others. This is the wonderful rule of “knowing thyself.”

In conclusion, Faith is one of the most important traits one must have in order to succeed in life. One must have the vision to see what others cannot see. From business deals to love, there will be times when the simple rules governing the application make no sense at all. The enter and exit strategies are vague, and all calculations do not add up. Therefore, you have to just dig deep inside yourself, believe in what you are about to do, and take that first step. Trust me, the hardest steps in life, are definitely the FIRST!

It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours...

"Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all.  Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle.  The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours." - Ayn Rand