Mr. Achievement - Stanley F. Bronstein - Personal Development BlogPersonal Development Blog of the Founder of the Achievement IQ Movement and Creator of the Laws of Positioning

Law #96

Position Yourself To Be A Victorious Warrior

Quote #1 - Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win. (Sun Tzu)

Quote #2 - He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious. (Sun Tzu)

Quote #3 - He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious. (Sun Tzu)

Sun Tzu And Victory

When I got to this law, I knew I would have to quote from The Art of War by Sun Tzu. Quite simply, The Art of War is a classic Chinese military text that provides valuable insight on military strategy. This book has been adopted and applied in business and personal contexts, as well as military ones.

If you have never read it, you need to check it out. It’s short, sweet and definitely to the point.

Quote #1 - Definitions

Victory / Victorious - A success or triumph over an enemy in battle or war. Having achieved a victory; conquering; triumphant. The ultimate and decisive superiority in any battle or contest.

Warrior - A person engaged or experienced in warfare; soldier. A person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness.

Win - To succeed by striving or effort. To gain the victory; overcome an adversary.

First - Before some other thing, event, etc.. Before anything else; at once; promptly.

Then - Next in order of time. Next in order of place.

Go - To move or proceed, esp. to or from something.

Defeat(ed) - The act or event of being bested; losing. Having been conquered.

Seek - To try to obtain. To try or attempt.

Source: Dictionary.com

Quote #1 - What Does It Suggest?

If you want to win any type of battle, be it military, business or personal, you have to win BEFORE you begin the battle. You have to have figured out IN ADVANCE what it is going to take to win AND TO HAVE ASSEMBLED the necessary resources to win BEFORE the battle even begins.

If you do that, you will NEVER lose.

Instead, if you enter the battle without having done all the advance planning, you will only be seeking to win. Winning will NOT be guaranteed and you will quite often lose. That’s what defeated warriors do, not victorious ones.

Quote #2 - Definitions

Know(s) - To perceive directly; grasp in the mind with clarity or certainty. To have a practical understanding of, as through experience; be skilled in.

When He Can - Under what circumstances will one be able to proceed? At what time or period will one be able to proceed?

Fight - To engage in a contest or struggle. To contend in any manner; strive vigorously for or against something. To maintain by fighting or contending.

Cannot - Not capable.

Source: Dictionary.com

Quote #2- What Does It Suggest?

The quote suggests that if you are going to be victorious, that you must have an understanding of yourself; of your capabilities; of your resources.

It is through understanding ourselves that we best POSITION OURSELVES TO BE VICTORIOUS.

If you understand yourself and know that you have the necessary capabilities and resources, then you will prevail in any battle you undertake, be it military, business or personal.

If you understand yourself and know that you DO NOT have the necessary capabilities and resources, then you will choose to NOT do battle and in that way, you will still be victorious.

It is only if you do NOT know yourself or choose to ignore what you know, that you will be defeated.

Quote #3 - Definitions

Prudent - Wise or judicious in practical affairs; sagacious; discreet or circumspect; sober. Careful in providing for the future; provident.

Lies In Wait - To be or remain in a specified condition of waiting, thus making oneself available or in a position of readiness. To remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens.

Enemy - An opponent. An opposite force. An adversary.

Source: Dictionary.com

Quote #3- What Does It Suggest?

This quote really hits home my point about positioning. A warrior who is prudent and who knows himself will wait for the opportune time to strike.

Rather just striking at any time, they will wait for the best moment. They will ascertain the situation and they will use good judgment to act against their adversaries; against their opponents.

Often, they will choose to attack their adversaries at times when that opponent is not exercising good judgment. In other words, at a time when they are NOT being prudent.

If you do that, you will always be victorious.

More On Sun Tzu

There are many more quotes on Sun Tzu and the Art of War and I plan on delving into them in greater detail upon completion of the Laws of Positioning.