Josh Kaufman - How to fight a Hydra : face your fears, pursue your ambitions, and become the hero you are destined to be

HOW TO FIGHT A HYDRA

Face Your Fears,
Pursue Your Ambitions,
and Become the Hero
You Are Destined to Be

JOSH KAUFMAN

A WORD OF THANKS FROM

JOSH KAUFMAN

Thank you for picking up a copy of this book. I'm an independent author, and I wrote, designed, typeset, and published this book myself. It's a labor of love, and your support means a lot to me.

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I'd also love to hear from you if this book touches your life in some way. You can reach me via email at josh@howtofightahydra.com . Thanks for reading!

FOR NATHAN

The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day.

STEVEN PRESSFIELD
author of The War of Art , veteran slayer of Hydras

CONTENTS

AUTHORS NOTE

Somewhere in the depths of your mind, a monster of a project is lurking.

Its big enough to scare you. Moving forward requires significant risk. Success is not guaranteed, and youre not confident you have what it takes to make it work.

How to Fight a Hydra is a story about summoning the courage to face the beast, fight the good fight, and persist long enough in your efforts to secure a lasting victory.

May it be a light in dark places when the future is uncertain or all seems lost.

Josh Kaufman
Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
September 2018

TRANSLATORS PREFACE

I discovered the following manuscript several years ago among the dusty shelves of a Bucharest antiquities dealer. The pages exhibited substantial water damage, and the scaled-hide casework and binding were in terrible shape, suggesting prolonged exposure to the elements.

Given the subject matter, we are fortunate the book exists at all, and that it has survived to the present day.

The original text is in Aromanian, a language similar to Romanian but with notable Greek influences. The authors name, age, gender, precise location, and date of writing is unknown, but the linguistic style and paper quality suggest a period between the late 11th to early 12th century CE.

I have updated the language and phrasing to make the text accessible to modern readers.

PART 1

THE QUEST

I have decided upon my purpose: I will slay a Hydra and claim its treasure, like the heroes of old.

Adventuring is dangerous, but if I continue my present course, I will go insane. Ive had enough of sitting in a dusty room, hunched over a desk, my fingers cramped and stained with ink.

Im not sure what calls to me about this particular ambition, but it is important to me. If I do not act, I consign myself to a life of regret.

For better or worse, I must do this.

Father and Mother think I am a fool.

Our family is prosperous enough, they say. Why go looking for trouble? Why chase fortune and renown? Why waste your training? Why gamble with your future? Why risk your life and well-being with no guarantee of success?

My friends express similar concerns. Be sensible. You are not Hercules. You are not a mighty warrior or a powerful sorcerer. This is a task for heroes, people of destiny. Youre a scribe. What makes you think you can do this?

When I told my master about my plans, he shook his head, then handed me another scroll to copy. The legends have gone to your head. Do not desire what you cannot hope to accomplish.

I know why my loved ones do not support my choice: they are afraid. Afraid it will be a terrible decision. Afraid I will sacrifice much and gain nothing. Afraid I will come to harm, or die in the pursuit.

I cannot fault them. They do not know what will happen. Neither do I. Thats the problem: so many uncertainties, so many anxieties, so many unknowns.

They are also afraid of what will happen if I succeed. What if I manage to kill a Hydra and become known throughout the land? What if I claim a vast treasure, surpassing their wealth and status? What if the experience changes me?

If I try, and they dont, what does that say about them ?

I will persist. I have made up my mind, and I will follow through with my plans.

I accept the risks. What I am doing may not work. I might be wasting my time. I may end up worse off than I am now.

I cannot control the outcome of my quest. I can only control myself: how I prepare, how I manage my fears, and how I conduct myself in the battle to come.

What do I know about Hydras? Not as much as Id like. Ive never seen one with my own eyes.

Most of what Ive heard comes from stories: from scrolls and books, tales told in taverns, and the songs of minstrels and bards.

In every case, the hero faces the beast with great courage and claims victory after a valiant and daring struggle.

I hope the stories are accurate.

According to the stories, what makes a Hydra fearsome is not its scaly hide, acrid stench, or row upon row of dagger-like teeth. Its the multitude of writhing, ravenous, serpentine heads.

Fighting a Hydra is not a battle with a single opponent: its a battle with many opponents at the same time, all intent on introducing you to your doom.

When you cut off one of the Hydras heads, legend says, it will grow two more unless you cauterize the wound with a torch. Hercules prevailed in this way, and I will follow his example.

What else can I discern about Hydras?

They must be rare. Otherwise, they would be seen hunting in the forests and rampaging through villages in search of food. They must make their homes in the deep, dark places of the world, beyond the borders known to ordinary folk.

My search must begin in the wilds, in caves and caverns. Where better for a monster to hide?

This is not appealing, but I must go to the Hydra: it will not come to me.

I have used the money Ive earned in my apprenticeship to buy a simple but well-made sword and a whetstone. I have learned to make torches from lard and pine resin that will burn bright and long.

I will not trust my fate to unreliable tools.

I have also set myself to physical training. I must be strong enough to swing the sword with force, and quick enough to apply the torch while dodging the enemys vicious strikes.