Smara, Morocco – We have repeatedly heard that life is a battle of being or having. It is an existential war that we can either win or lose. We are all soldiers fighting for different causes in different fields.
Our whole history is a story of fighting: winning or losing or waiting for one of those options. It is the process of defeat that follows victory and victory that follows defeat. Of course, we do not always control the results, but we do our best to change the direction of these battles. We can choose to win or lose, to resist or surrender, to kill or be killed.
Our African ancestors warned us about going into a jungle without weapons. They said that only a crazy man could face a tiger with empty hands. They taught us that we should always prepare ourselves for the beasts that might hunt us as we hunt them.
The road of life, like the jungle, is full of wild animals and dangerous insects that might attack the travelers and hunters if they do not pay attention. Thus, it is only when we get out of the forest that we can feel safe. We should stay alert till the end of our journey; real fighters wait for the end of the war to celebrate their victories.
A true fighter strengthens himself continuously and regularly. He seizes a peaceful opportunity to sharpen his sword, to fix his arrows, to prepare his guns, to train his body and mind. He often celebrates his victories and learns from his defeats. He takes time to reflect on his personal mistakes and on the victories of his enemies. He always revises his strategies. In his moments of peace, the fighter thinks about the coming battle and learns from his previous defeats. This is because his essence and existence are questions of, “to be or not to be.”
The true warrior believes in the ability of his sword to achieve the impossible. He wins all his future battles in his mind and heart before he wins them on the battlefield. He respects his enemies and studies their tactics. He watches how they learn, what they do, and what they avoid. He listens to their speeches, takes seriously their threats, and tries to understand what they say and what they hide.
A true fighter is like the cat when he confronts the dog. The cat knows that he is smaller and weaker, but he believes in his power. So he collects his energy, stands in front of the dog, and meows. His motto is, “Just meow, God will fight.”
Edited by Katrina Bushko
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