Knowing your old self has died

“We don't rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.” Archilochus

(and apparently “famously said” by Bruce Lee at some point)

A volunteer wrote this quote to “Ricardo” in response to a story he had shared with us that beautifully illustrated this point.  All of us want to be brilliant, whole, loving and powerful.  And… we don’t know what we’re truly made of until we face a testing challenge.

In a recent packet, Ricardo spoke of his move to a new yard where he was confronted with a prison population with which he had not been in contact for well over a decade.  Ricardo is known by most – if not all – who know him as being gentle, wise and with very high integrity.   Many people across the Donovan yards credit him for saving their lives and being the example they can always look towards for inspiration.

Shortly after his move, members of this prison population tested and threatened Ricardo “to the point of reviving my old self…with only seconds to prove or show what I’m made of.  A part of my old self quickly wanted to rise up, but the Spirit of God was louder and at that moment gave me the words to speak. … They threatened to keep an eye on me (praise God ;-) ) and told me to watch myself.  The beauty about their threat is that it was an opportunity to preach the Gospel without words.”

Ricardo continues, “I remember that such an encounter in the past would have caused me to be quick to defend myself ‘at all costs’ and defend my ‘jail-house’ honor so no one else would dare challenge me afterwards.  However, I knew the old me was long gone and buried when I didn’t feel the need to defend myself, nor did it matter what they thought of me for turning down their challenge.  That’s how God shows me I’m not the old [Ricardo].”

What is your level of expectation?  What is your level of training?  Every time we become slower to anger and more trusting of our brilliance, we’re in training.  The training can be arduous.  And yet, we reap the rewards when the element of surprise tests us and we realize we’ve just been less reactive, less conflictual, more attentive, more in our brilliance!  The ensuing peace and joy are simply priceless.

Enjoy your own daily training.  Allow Ricardo’s journey from gangbanger to gentle wisdom be the inspiration that this transformation is possible for each and every single one of us.