The Warrior Mind Ancient Wisdom from the Martial Arts for Living a More Powerful Life

225 Pages·2006·10.94 MB·English

by  Jim Pritchard

The Warrior Mind
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Warrior Mind
Ancient Wisdom from the Martial Arts
for Living a More Powerful Life
Jim Pritchard
with
Sharon Lindenburger
AMACOM
American Management Association
New York • Atlanta • Brussels • Chicago • Mexico City • San Francisco
Shanghai • Tokyo • Toronto • Washington, D.C.
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THE
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Pritchard, Jim.
The warrior mind : ancient wisdom from the martial arts for living a more
powerful life / Jim Pritchard with Sharon Lindenburger.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 0–8144–7303–2 (pbk.)
1. Martial arts—Philosophy. 2. Martial arts—Psychological aspects.
I. Lindenburger, Sharon. II. Title.
GV1101.P75 2006
796.8'01—dc22 2005020262
䉷 2006 Jim Pritchard
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
This publication may not be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in whole or in part,
in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of AMACOM,
a division of American Management Association,
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.
Printing number
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Contents
Foreword vii
Preface ix
Introduction 1
1 Looking for Inner Safety 9
2 Learning the Six Energies 19
3 Thinking Like a Shadow Warrior 38
4 Handling Daily Challenges 63
5 Handling Work Challenges 87
6 Handling Relational Challenges 124
7 Carrying Yourself Like a Shadow Warrior 150
8 Living a More Powerful Life 179
Resources for the Warrior Mind 203
Index 205
About the Author 211
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Foreword
I have known Jim Pritchard for over twenty years. We are
long-time sparring partners and have even taught in the same
dojo. I can tell you from first-hand and sometimes painful
experience that Jim is a formidable foe. They don’t confer the
rank of Shadow Warrior on just anyone, you know.
Jim’s a great teacher, too. One time he graciously invited
me to spar with some of his students. I declined with even
greater graciousness. ‘‘Thanks but no thanks, Jim,’’ I told him.
‘‘I really prefer to keep my eyes in my head.’’
You see, he always taught his charges street smarts as well
as dojo smarts.
Over the years I have watched Jim help a lot of people live
less fearfully and more confidently. I have watched him apply
the principles and energies of his training to business and life.
I am very pleased to see that he has captured all this so clearly
and compellingly in this book.
Jim has developed his own way of teaching the ancient
wisdom of the martial arts. He has come to believe that a per-
son does not have to be a formal student of martial arts to
apply the energies that martial artists use to deal with psycho-
logical conflicts and challenges.
Jim feels that each and every one of us wants to feel in-
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viii FOREWORD
wardly safe, to go through life with a calm center, to take
a balanced approach to everything we do. His approach of
‘‘Thought Ⳮ Motion ⳱ No Room for Fear’’ is simple yet pow-
erful. When set in the context of the six energies he describes
in this book, this approach provides the secret to mastering
fear and anxiety and living a more powerful life.
In addition, Jim’s work, wit, and wisdom help people gain
more confidence in themselves, and an optimistic way of look-
ing at the world—a way that balances the physical and the
psychological, the mental and the spiritual.
It is my hope, and expectation, that you will find courage
and inspiration within the pages of Jim’s book. I know you’re
going to find his practical suggestions helpful in many areas
of your life.
All in all, you’re in good hands. (Jim has a gentle side, too.)
Wayne Erdman
Kitchener, Ontario
Gold medalist in judo at the 1975 Pan American Games
and participant in judo at the 1976 Montreal Olympics
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Preface
To those of you who accept the risks of taking on challenges,
this book’s for you.
To those of you who have been on intimate terms with
anxiety, doubt, and fear, this book’s for you.
And to those of you who have known the mental clarity of
creative thinking, the thrill of overcoming adversities, and the
sweet taste of physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual,
and financial success, this book’s for you.
Acknowledgments
I want to recognize the following people for their many contri-
butions toward completing this book:
My life partner, Grace, whose patience and life skills were
demonstrated so many times during the writing of this book
by her ability to stay in the here and now.
My scribe, author, and adviser, Sharon Lindenburger, who
was unfamiliar with the martial arts world when we began this
journey a few years ago, but can now say that she has a skilled
knowledge of how we think.
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