Hey .

Apparently, a HUGE part of my subscribers never received this special training I sent out the other day so, if you're one of those who DID receive it... I apologize for the duplicate email.

If you didn't get it... then this is for YOU!

If you're serious about this training - authentic Ninjutsu training - and not just a part of it, then I have a Ninja "spy mission" for you today... and that's to make observations about the people and spaces around you, and those you come in contact with. I want you to look at the people who have good habits, and the people who have bad habits.

Why?  Because I want you to start learning to make connections between actions, habits, etc... the outward things we see, and the thoughts, beliefs, perspectives and influencers of a person's inner world... the things we can't see, but that get reflected in their outer world - their words, actions, activities, habits, etc.

Ask yourself...

Would you be able to predict a person's habit patterns, or what objects or conditions they likely have going on in their lives - in their environment - just by looking at that them and or the spaces they inhabit? Would be able to tell, based on the reasons they give for doing or not doing certain things, what kind of outcomes they get in their lives, and what outcomes they're most likely to get?

This isn't about judgment, or jumping to conclusions... but about working on our Gan-ho (one of the 8 kihon skill sets of the Gyokko-Ryu as passed to my teacher from his own teacher, Takamatsu-Soke)...

...a way of looking, seeing, and gathering information about the likelihood of the unseen, by what you CAN see (this is NOT guessing or pre-judging)... so you can make better decisions in the moment. I know "gan-ho" literally translates to "eye-methods," but it also includes "insight," "foresight," and other related areas of study, development, and processing the world around you.  So, it also includes what people say, as well as what we see them doing.

If one is lazy or productive, focused or easily distracted, etc., are there signs of this in a person's environment? What about if someone is happy or sad, tired or energetic, healthy or ill? Are there indicators in their speech and how they explain things? What about their timeliness, ability to commit to things and keep their word, their posture and/or way they walk, or other clues?

For today, just make observations without judgment. It won't take very long, but just remember that this is just one piece of information or evidence-gathering, and resist the temptation to write a "life story" about anyone based on this first glimpse. Remember, there's a lot more to the Ninja's information-gathering and processing skills than just one encounter.

Also remember that anything that points to a "likelihood" of a truth, is only that. Which is why this needs to be combined with other skill sets and processes before we can develop a sense of clarity that we can trust and/or act on with any amount of certainty.

But this simple exercise, which can (and SHOULD) be applied to ourselves as well (part of Seishin - personal clarity / self-knowledge), will allow for us to start making connections rather quickly about someone's behavior and the objects in, or condition of, their environment.

If you're interested in taking this study of Gan-ho further, then check out this program on the different ways a master warrior can and does use their eyes for not only observation and insight, but for surviving a deadly encounter: Bushi no Me "Eyes of a Warrior" Program

Why this exercise? Great question.

Remember that earlier I said that this wasn't about judging someone?

I also mentioned seishin and self-knowledge.

Remember?

Well, this is where we start to use Ego's self centered-ness against itself. Because, once you get past the outward focused, "he's XYZ," "she's ABC," and "look at them, I bet they're...," kind of thinking...

...then we can start getting ideas and insights into our own actions, habits, and environmental clues as to why we are any one of the things I mentioned at the beginning ("lazy or productive," "happy or sad," etc.) and start making changes that will produce more of what you say you want.

What mistakes do you see others make that you can learn from?

What positive habits do others have that produce the results you want to have for yourself?

What life hacks can you make, that will start to make a real difference in the results you'll start getting for yourself?

That's it for today.

Happy spying, Ninja Master!
 

To your attainment of personal and Warrior Mastery!