This week’s Warrior is none other than the great fictional character Son Goku! Goku is the lead character of the long time hit anime television series Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and all the other series based on the same series. Goku, however, is based on the same person that King Kong is based on, Sun Wukong or the Monkey King. Sun Wukong was a half-man, half-ape of Chinese legend who proved himself to be as strong as the God’s in war tactics, strategy, and combat battling heavens greatest warriors to a draw. He draws his power from Taoist practices in which he is said to be able to support two celestial mountains on his shoulders and able to run with the speed of a meteor! The Monkey King was able to transform into 72 different animals and beings of the earth and had partial weather manipulation abilities as well.

Goku was based on this legend and did not disappoint with the high levels of Taoism spread through the show. Goku is always in the moment and teaches us to be open through accepting others, and through this acceptance, learn what others have to teach. Everyone can teach you something and Goku’s ability to stay in the moment allows him to steal peoples attacks and knowledge through mirroring. Through this same ability of awareness, Goku teaches us to never give up and fight for what is truly right. No matter how successful someone is, it doesn’t mean there wont be ups and downs in the journey. When things are the toughest is when you have to fight harder than ever before to achieve whatever goals you set.

This leads to another good teaching from Goku and that is to always push yourself past your own limits. Anything is possible and everything in life is earned. Not giving up and consistently putting in work, day in and day out, will push you past the limits you set even for yourself. Time and again, this hero found a way to overcome “impossible” odds to beat an opponent and save the world. In your life, it may not seem like it has such large implications for the world as a whole, but each and every day you save your own world. Each and every day you have the choice to not get up and just give up on life, but you don’t. Whatever life throws at you, you push past and continue on making the impossible entirely possible.

The last lesson from this great warrior seems to be a consistent theme with the majority of great leaders and warriors and that is to help others less fortunate with the skills you have. You may not have the abundance of strength of Goku, or the following of a Nahko Bear, or the brain of a Dr. Fitzpatrick, but you have your own unique skills. Find what you are good at and look to help others with those skills because when you help others you help yourself. The universe or God or karma or whatever likes to reward those who give back and help others the most so clearly it’s just wise council.

See you Bad Asses next week.

Love,

Your friendly neighborhood Gare Bear