What I’ve begun to do is surround myself with warriors walking their own path. Men of honor. Men of courage. Men who aren’t afraid to do things differently. And although we’re alone in some aspects of our lives, we can help one another on our journey because we have shared experiences.

Have faith in yourself. Know that what you’re doing is right by doing the right thing. Know that what you’re doing is going to lead to success by working your ass off and creating success.

Without faith you can’t persist. Without faith you can’t endure. Without faith you can’t be a warrior.

VIII. Courage.

Alas, we’ve come to a quality that is not only required by a warrior, but possessed by him alone. Man, woman, or child, if you have the courage to face your demons, your fears, the big bad world that few truly experience, you’re a warrior.

I know courageous people. Men and women who, at times of struggle, strife, and tribulation, keep their faith and forge forward. They are, however, the few. I think that all men have the capacity for courage, I think it’s something that we can all – and should all – have. But as kids we don’t practice courage. We practice fear and weakness.

When we get in trouble or do something stupid, as kids, our parents enable it. They make excuses for us rather than making us man up and own up to our mistakes.

I can remember plenty of times where I disappointed my parents growing up by doing something so stupid that it had to be applauded for the audacity of the stupidity of the act. I mean I did some stupid shit. However, hough I disappointed them with the stupid act, I at least had the courage to own up to what I did, usually taking the fall for pals caught up in my actions.

They taught me this at a young age. And I think it’s far more important to teach our kids honor and courage, than it is to tame them, and force them to be timid souls incapable of creating big problems for the world.

It’s the men and women that create problems as kids that often solve problems as adults. Troublemakers are a good thing. They’re filled with life, excitement, and curiosity.

Boys should be allowed to be boys, in fact, they should be encouraged to be boys. But they should also be taught how to be men, and to be warriors, by practicing the courage it takes to stand up and take responsibility for their actions.

Courage is a fleeting quality amongst the modern boy, teen, and man. It’s fleeting because it’s rarely taught – and honor can be used in this same breath. I said I know courageous people. My mom, dad, and my closest friends are courageous. But I also know weak people. Guys I grew up with whose parents never forced them to man up and accept responsibility for anything they did.

As a result, they kept doing things that benefit only them, at the cost of others. Things that aren’t honorable. Things that take courage not to do. They’re good people, at heart, but being good at heart is useless. It’s our actions that matter. And if your actions are cowardly, you are a coward.

IX. Discipline.

Freedom comes from discipline. It can’t exist in a life or society where people lack discipline. It’s in these subcultures that selfishness and laziness thrive, and freedom suffocates. The hippie, for example, will look at the routine of a warrior and see the limitations he’s placing on himself. They won’t see the greater purpose, the accomplishment, and the self-worth that discipline gives.

What is freedom to you?

The freedom to do what you love, spend time with people that you love, and the freedom to create what you desire. Discipline does not mean you are a slave, instead it means that you are a man. You’ve found meaning in your suffering, as Viktor Frankl said. You’ve found the meaning of life through your work. Rather than avoiding your responsibilities waiting for this “meaning” to come to you, you’ve sought it, created it.

A warrior of the past, present, and future, will always need discipline. This is where greatness lies, growth occurs, and freedom is found.

X. Freedom.

A warrior must be self-reliant. He needs to be able to fend for himself, defend himself, create himself, and learn for himself.

It seems like this whole article is promoting solitude, that being a warrior means being alone. And, to a degree, that’s true. A warrior has to love solitude. He has to be so at peace with himself, and his direction in life, that he’s as comfortable being alone as he is in groups.

But that’s not the only way of the warrior. Remember a warrior fights, primarily, for others. There’s nothing more important in life that quality relationships. Real relationships. Which brings us to another recent development: social media.

A warrior has real relationships, real people aiding him on his quest, just like he aids them on theirs. He’s not building, creating, or maintaining relationships through email, Facebook, or Twitter. He’s not creating another identity, a facade, by what he presents to the public in these avenues.

A warrior exists in the physical realm, not merely the technological.

He has beers with friends, takes women on dates, spends time with his family. He does, he doesn’t tweet.

Thus, he doesn’t depend on social media. He’s free from it. He’s free to be who he is in every aspect of life. A man who isn’t free, creating his own path, being himself, isn’t a warrior, no matter how he presents himself to the world.

Freedom is at the core of who a warrior is. In the past, he fought for it, and he fought to defend it. Today, he fights to create it, grow it, and earn it. I work hard to earn my freedom, freedom from worry, dependance, and fear. I fight my laziness to grow stronger. I fight my body to make it grow stronger. The world really does need more warriors. We need more men willing to stand up and fight for what’s right, no matter how unpopular that may be, or whether or not they’re the only one fighting.

Don’t be relegated to mediocrity. You’re a warrior, my friend. Dare mighty things. Dare to be great. Dare to dream bigger, do more, and be the warrior that societies still to come revere and respect.