Personal Negligence

Although it stands to reason that a samurai should be mindful of the Way of the Samurai, it would seem that we are all negligent. Consequently, if someone were to ask, “What is the true meaning of the Way of the Samurai?” the person who would be able to answer promptly is rare. This is because it has not been established in one’s mind beforehand. From this, one’s unmindfulness of the Way can be known.

Negligence is an extreme thing.

Hagakure – Chapter 1, Page 1, Paragraph 1

This passage sets the tone of a bitter, elderly samurai, that doesn’t like what he sees with the youth. They were being negligent in the Way of the samurai. And that was unacceptable to him.

Hagakure is a book I ignored for a while, because I thought it would be too similar to The Book of Five Rings and Bushido: Soul of of the Samurai. But after seeing amazing quotes from it over and over again, I had to read it. And it is…amazing.

This 1st passage was somewhat uninspiring to me, until the last sentence. Negligence, is a word I always associate with the law…regarding children or driving a car. It is one I have never associated with myself. But if I am being negligent to me in my own life, is there anything worse? So, I am not doing what’s best for me…and don’t care enough to do anything about it? I’m making potentially life altering decisions or non-decisions because of lazy carelessness?

So, you are being personally negligent. You are letting yourself go. You are leaving things that you need done for your personal or professional well being…undone. Do you have no self respect? Do you not care where you end up in this world? Do you hate yourself?

Negligence.

Before I started Urban Samurai, I was negligent in so many areas in my life. But I have since started changing things. After reading this passage, I thought about it and realized…I haven’t changed enough.

This takes proactive decisions. This takes effort. This takes time. And I added this Urban Samurai on top of a wife, kids, a dog, and a job. I don’t have a lot of time. So it becomes about maximizing effort in a very minimal amount of time. Time management probably down to the minute.

I know that sounds like a lot. But negligence…is an extreme thing.