The Warrior Poet Way: A Guide to Living Free and Dying Well - Hardcover

Lovell, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593541847 ISBN 13: 9780593541845

Verlag: Sentinel, 2023

Inhaltsangabe

An instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller!

From the founder of the Warrior Poet Society, a daring manual on how to become a dangerous—and good—man

There is a war on masculinity, and everywhere we look—on every front we hold sacred—we can see the painful reminders of this collapsing order. The chaos and crisis we are experiencing today should be a signal for men everywhere to rise up; to fight to preserve our way of life by once again walking the ancient paths. But this isn’t a journey that need be taken alone.

In The Warrior Poet Way, public speaker, former Army Ranger, and all-around patriot John Lovell offers a needed antidote to the lack of strong men in our modern world. This is a call to all men to be what they truly are. Both dangerous and good. Lovers and fighters. Lions and lambs.

Both philosophical and practical, this guide dispenses essential advice on how to be a whole man, from tyranny-proofing your home to wooing the right woman. Through anecdotes of his time in the military, interviews with other men, and practicums at the end of each chapter, Lovell teaches the virtue of balance—navigating the tension between violent warrior and romantic poet—and guides men through each mental and physical change they must make to embody the ancient spirit of a real man.

This is a manual for every man to use in the fight of their life—and what it takes to win. No good thing comes easy, and the life you want is just on the other end of what you don’t want to do. This is the Warrior Poet Way. Are you ready to walk it?

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

John Lovell is the Founder and CEO of the Warrior Poet Society - a values-based community dedicated to physical protection, the pursuit of truth, and living for higher purpose. His message has garnered over 100 million views across social media and streaming platforms. John is a former war veteran and Special Operations soldier, having served in the 2nd Ranger Battalion. After his military service, he served as a Christian missionary in Central America full-time. Today he is a video content creator, public speaker, firearms trainer, and homesteader. John lives on a small farm in Georgia with his wife and two sons.

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1

A World in Need of Warriors

Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.

-George S. Patton

he tension was unbearable. I tried to control my breathing as I looked out on where our battle would take place. This was the calm before the storm. My heart was already in my chest, my nerves on edge. Behind me was my compatriot, a brave artillery soldier serving as backup, a pile of hand grenades at the ready should things go south.

As my fellow soldier lurked behind the cover of our newly made fortification, before me a head peeked out from behind a tree. We were surrounded by the elements with only our wits and our courage to aid us. My eyes met those of my opponent. Though the outcome of the fight was uncertain, I knew that today was not my day to die. Other soldiers had seen such insuperable odds and had not been so fortunate. Nonetheless, battle called, and I had to answer.

It was time.

My enemy sauntered out with a bo staff-that is, a stick he found in the backyard. Not as good as mine, I thought with a sneer. We came together, meeting on the field of combat, immediately engaging each other, staff hitting staff. We stood there as fearless children-at-arms doing battle while mortars exploded around in all directions.

That day, we suffered significant losses while accomplishing great feats, surviving to live yet another day. Thank God.

When the battle concluded, we retreated to our separate barracks, and our commanding officers bestowed the coveted ice-cream sandwiches on us as worthy war trophies.

I was only eight years old, playing with my neighbors and siblings in the woods; but it was then that I knew the sweet taste of victory. It tasted like vanilla.

Born into Battle

Those little neighborhood battles are cherished memories from my childhood. My parents didn't teach us to play war in the woods, but without any instruction whatsoever, we managed to forge our own weapons and compete in combat every summer. It was instinct-and that is quite telling, isn't it?

At an early age, boys understand that there are bad guys in the world who must be stopped. In their minds, mostly everything is a competition, each and every moment translated into a who-would-win scenario. My own children used to endlessly pit animals and heroes against each other in hypothetical skirmishes and discuss the potential outcomes. Would a tiger beat a lion? They'd even read books on these subjects to figure out the answer.

As they've grown and are now learning more history, they're seeing the strength of both the hero and foe in real-life battles and what made the tides turn. The Warrior Within is awakening in them. They recognize that a battle is being waged, and that something is required of them. Every man does.

We have known it since we were young, imagining ourselves as knights and army men, fighting monsters. This is why every stick, toy, or vegetable became an instant weapon for many of us while growing up. Nobody told us to play this way. We came by it naturally.

Before they're out of diapers, boys are preparing for battle. This is a natural and normal impulse. If you give both a boy and a girl a Barbie doll, you would not be surprised to see the girl dressing the doll in pretty clothes and playing princess. The boy, on the other hand, will hold the legs in one hand, push the upper body back at a 90-degree angle and pretend the Barbie is a gun. Then, he'll point the gun at someone and shoot. An hour later, the doll will be missing a leg with the head turned around backward. Sure, there are exceptions to the rule, but I'm not talking about outliers. I'm talking about the rule of what's at the heart of true masculinity, which is to protect and defend.

Many parents might be tempted to stop this kind of play, to interfere with the boy's impulses, but that would be unwise. Of course, you can let the child know it's not good to pop the heads off his sister's toys, but be careful to not chastise the aggression out of a young male.

Instead, it must be controlled and channeled-but never eliminated. He and his future family and community may need his aggression someday. Any child who has done something like this is answering an ancient call to the ranks of previous generations who came before, every generation of men who made the next possible, each understanding the same intuitive truth: We are at war.

And wars require warriors.

Making Room for Men

Do you remember when you would see heroes on TV and in movies, and they stood for something? Remember John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Sean Connery? Remember, even, the next-door neighbor who came over when they noticed that your power was out?

There was a time not too long ago when men were allowed to be strong. Of course, these men were far from perfect, but we understood what they were and what they could be. It was not uncommon to see them open a door for a lady or pull over to help someone change a tire. We knew the meaning of masculinity, and at the heart of it was sacrifice.

It seems today we've lost this understanding; the importance of having warriors in the world. Sure, we still see superheroes in comic books and movies, as well as occasional astronauts and cowboys as objects of respect and reverence. But this is far different from growing up with Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong. Where are the real men today who possess rugged strength and who commit to bold action? When did we start expecting so little?

Maybe this kind of man seems mythological at best, but I assure you that such men still exist. There are men who will still stand up for what is right and who aren't afraid to use their strength. We used to require this of them; now it surprises us. If we want to have any hope for the future, though, we must return to such an expectation.

We must summon the part of us that our society hasn't completely squashed with the hammer of political correctness. We've been lulled into pursuing our "sensitive" side so much that it has become, for many men, their only side. Men need to wake up to their true identities as warriors. This is the only way we win in any fight. Yes, a man needs to know when to be gentle, but gentleness alone will not keep tyranny and evil at bay. It's going to take warriors to defend what we've built and hold dear.

Consider this, then, your invitation to ignore the seething, postmodern feminist shrieking against the patriarchy. It's okay to want to be a warrior. Although mutilating dolls is not what we want our sons to do, the idea of being a warrior who can one day offer loving protection to the innocent is an instinct we should protect.

Some mothers may be shocked to see their boys playing war games at a very young age, but it is good. Whether encouraged or not, most will happen upon them, regardless; and when a boy starts playing war, he is learning something essential about his nature. To fight for the freedom of others is a noble act that should be encouraged. Even if the fight is pretend, the courage is real.

Boys love a fight. They inherently understand that one day they will be protectors of others, and at a certain age it becomes natural to answer such a call. You'll see them putting it together in their own haphazard way, seeking greater opportunities for responsibility, risk, and independence. Young men are always searching for ways to test their strength. My sons plan surprise attacks on me, pouncing as soon as I walk through the front door. They want to see if they have what it takes, continually testing themselves, using their dad as a measuring stick. Instinctively, they are preparing to become the bedrock of strength upon which society is built.

One day, my boys will be the strong arm that freedom rests...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Sentinel
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2023
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0593541847
• ISBN 13: 9780593541845
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 288
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Portfolio; https://www.wetones.co.uk/; ; 105 Golborne Rd; London; W10 5NL; Vereinigtes Königreich
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