Nick Benas - The Warriors Book of Virtues: A Field Manual for Living Your Best Life

A spirit of comradeship and brotherhood in arms came into being in the training camps and on the battlefields. This spirit is too fine a thing to be allowed to die. It must be fostered and kept alive and made the moving force in all Marine Corps Organizations.

M AJOR G ENERAL A. L EJEUNE

A WARRIOR IS NOT defined by gender, culture, skin color, age, intellect, socio-economic status, generation, or political affiliation. A warrior is defined by the things they do, and their lifelong commitment to improvement. Becoming a warrior means embarking on an ever-evolving journey towards a destination of elite mental statusreaching a place where we can truly be our best selves.

Were all bombarded daily with chores, responsibilities, the demands of others, the demands we put on ourselves... a cacophony of inner and outer voices, each one striving to be heard. And oftentimes, the directives given by these voices are ones of service: simple, mundane and frequently boring tasks.

Service to yourself or a loved one, before you leave for work or school: make your bed, brush your teeth, take a shower, use deodorant, eat breakfast, get dressed, feed the kids, pay the bills... the list endless. Typically, when these tasks present themselves, were tempted to respond with, Why? or, Whats the point? Who cares?

There are valid answers to these questionsanswers that offer a reason for and validity to making your bed, even when no ones looking. Our goal with this book is to help everyone see the long-term benefits of the daily rinse-and-repeat. To recognize these actions not as tests of our patience, but as signifiers of our diligence. In doing so, we hope to lead you along a path to success of your own choosing.

Our responsibility as warriors is to do battle, to make better decisions when called upon, and to cultivate just and virtuous lives. This is not always easy; for this reason, warriors are expected to adapt to less-than-desirable circumstances and overcome any obstacles standing in their way.

To those men and women who served in and out of the theatre of war, and to those who continue to serve, we thank you. Further, we understand how humble you are about your service, and that being referred to as a warrior might carry a deeper and even unsettling meaning. We recognize that for us to make close relatives of war and civilian life in our offering here can be just as jarring. Please know that we can relate: when someone refers to us as soldiers, it makes our skin crawl. The titles Marine and Sailor exist at a fundamental level of our DNA, and for us to personally unpack why the label soldier bothers us could take a lifetime. The society we live in doesnt make things any easier: weve become collectively hypersensitive, as ordinary, mundane conversations among friends and family have to be interrupted and refereed when participants or even just observers get triggered. People are afraid to share their honest thoughts and feelings because theyre afraid of being politically incorrect or touching on a sensitivity. The result is emotional and mental paralysis on a cultural level, as we suppress our thoughts in speech because we struggle mightily to listen and understand each other.

Our real hope is that the concepts woven into the pages of this book, upheld through centuries of humanity and borne out in the lives of countless incredible people, will serve as a source of inspiration and motivation. By sharing of our life experiences thus far, the successes and gains alongside the failures and losses, we hope to give you the confidence to eliminate unnecessary distractions and roadblocks so you can do what you need to do to create a virtue-driven life of freedom and happiness for yourself and a lasting legacy filled with pleasant memories for you and your loved ones.

With that said: a warrior is simply a catch-all term for an individual who specializes in the art of fighting and combat. And if youve picked up this bookif youre reading these wordsyou are a warrior. If you decide to embark on this journey with us, we ask you to embrace the bad and keep fighting the good fight, to eventually succeed at understanding and implementing the four cardinal virtues of temperance, prudence, fortitude and justice into your everyday life. Remember: warriors lead with virtue. We are on your side, and at your side; this is a path we all walk together.

The three of us bonded in the military while working together half a world away, in what now seems like a lifetime ago. It is a true example of mutual admiration, loyalty and respect that our friendship and consistent support for each other continues. We trust each other implicitly. We still hold each other accountable during the tough times. We dont share embellished glory stories in this book to impress or boast; nor do we make any claims of magnificent feats of heroism in these pages. We were just doing our jobs. We take our jobs very seriously, but all the same we try not to take life too seriously. We look forward to sharing with you glimpses of our authentic vulnerability, our personal fears, foibles and the forces at play that have held us back and propelled us forward. These experiences, without question, are what have made us the men we are today.