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He knows that his companions also have to adapt and is not surprised when they change their attitude. He gives each one the necessary time to justify his actions.

But when it comes to treachery, he is implacable.

A Warrior sits around the fire with his friends.

They spend hours criticizing each other, but they end the night sleeping in the same tent, having forgotten all the insults that were bandied about. Occasionally, a new member joins the group. Because he does not yet share a common history, he shows only his good qualities, and some see in him a master.

But the Warrior of the Light never compares him with his old companions in battle. He makes the stranger welcome, but he will not trust him until he knows his defects too.

A Warrior of the Light does not go into battle without knowing the limitations of his ally.

The Warrior knows an old saying: "If regrets could kill..."

And he knows that regrets can kill; they slowly eat away at the soul of someone who has done something wrong and they lead eventually to self-destruction.

The Warrior does not want to die like that. When he acts perversely or maliciously--because he is a man of many faults--he is never too ashamed to ask forgiveness.

If possible, he does his best to repair the wrong he has done. If the injured party is dead, then he does some good turn to a stranger and offers up that deed to the soul that he wounded.

A Warrior of the Light has no regrets, because regrets can kill. He humbles himself and undoes the wrong he has done.

All Warriors of the Light have heard their mothers say: "My son wasn't thinking straight when he did that; deep down, he's a very good person."

Although he respects his mother, he knows that this is not true. He does not waste his time blaming himself for his rash actions nor does he spend his life forgiving himself for all the wrong he has done--doing that would never set him back on the right path.

He uses common sense to judge not the intentions of an action but its consequences. He takes responsibility for everything he does, eve

n if he has to pay a high price for his mistake.

As the old Arabic proverb says: "God judges a tree by its fruits and not by its roots."

Before making any important decision--declaring a war, moving with his companions to another plain, choosing a field in which to sow seed--the Warrior asks himself: "How will this affect the fifth generation of my descendants?"

A Warrior knows that everything a person does has enduring consequences and he needs to understand what kind of world he is leaving behind for that fifth generation.

It's just a tempest in a teacup," someone says to the Warrior of the Light.

But he never exaggerates his difficulties and always tries to remain calm.

And he never judges someone else's suffering.

A small detail--which does not affect him in the least--could serve to ignite the storm brewing in his brother's soul. The Warrior respects the suffering of others and does not try to compare it with his own.

The cup of suffering is not the same size for everyone.

The most important quality on the spiritual path is courage," said Gandhi.

The world seems threatening and dangerous to cowards. They seek the false security of a life with no major challenges and arm themselves to the teeth in order to defend what they think they possess. Cowards end up making the bars of their own prison.

The Warrior of the Light projects his thoughts beyond the horizon. He knows that if he does not do anything for the world, no one else will.

So he fights the Good Fight and he helps others, even though he does not quite understand why.

The Warrior of the Light pays close attention to a text that the Soul of the World transmitted to Chico Xavier: "When you have managed to overcome grave problems in a relationship, do not spend time remembering the difficult times, concentrate on the joy of having passed yet another of life's tests. When you emerge from a long period of medical treatment, do not brood on the suffering you endured, think instead of God's blessing that allowed you to be cured.

"Carry in your memory, for the rest of your life, the good things that came out of those difficulties. They will serve as a proof of your abilities and will give you confidence when you are faced by other obstacles."

The Warrior of the Light concentrates on the small miracles of daily life.


Tags: Paulo Coelho Fiction