Bohdi Sanders Quotes

Never respond to an angry person with a fiery comeback, even if he deserves it...Don't allow his anger to become your anger.

Focus on making yourself better, not on thinking that you are better.

When you react, you let other control you. When you respond, you are in control.

Your reputation is what others think of you; your character is what you truly are. Reputations can be manipulated; character can only be developed and maintained.

Warriors do not lower themselves to the standards of other people; they live independently according to their own standards and code of honor.

Think for yourself at all times.

An enemy cannot betray you, as you already expect your enemy to try to bring you down. Only a trusted "friend," acquaintance, or family member can betray you, and that is what truly makes betrayal so hurtful and sad.

During times of persistent hardship is when the warrior learns the most about his fortitude.

A true friend is someone you can count on no matter what.

Truth is universal. Perception of truth varies.

You are never defeated unless you quit trying.

The only measure of what you believe is what you do. If you want to know what people believe, don’t read what they write, don’t ask what they believe, just observe what they do.

Don't seek to be respected by everyone, rather seek to be worthy of being respected by everyone.

Face your fears and you will be able to conquer them.

Protecting yourself is self-defense. Protecting others is warriorship.

Your loyalty to friends and family should have no limit, although it may be expressed in ways that others cannot understand.

Every man who is truly a man must learn to be alone in the mist of all others, and if need be against all others.

All respect is earned, even self-respect.

Don't make the mistake of underestimating your enemies.

When someone stabs you in the back and then apologizes, accept the apology, but don't give him the knife back to do it again!

All know the way, few actually walk it.

Doing nothing is also an action; not making a decision is making a decision.

Act with the heart of the warrior.

Self-discipline is the cornerstone of any endeavor.

If you are not currently living a life of inner peace, then your thoughts must be wrong on some level.

Don’t train to be ordinary; train to be extraordinary. You have to go beyond the ordinary in order to become extraordinary. You must develop a style that works for you.

All men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil.

You don't obtain excellence by doing the bare minimum.

Conduct yourself in a manner that is worthy of respect and don't worry about what others think.

Survival is the foundation of endurance; complete triumph is the endgame.

Be who you truly are and make everything merge into your one true self.

Self-defenses mean self-defense, period. It leave nothing out.

There is no such thing as a fair fight.

If the bird hadn’t sung, it wouldn’t have been shot. Japanese Proverb

You can't run from who you are. The best you can do is take who are you are and make the best YOU that you can be. Bohdi Sanders​

Train to be able to defend yourself against any attack, and at the same time, retain your good heart towards other people. Don't allow bad people to turn your heart hard, but always be ready to defend yourself should you have to.

Refuse to give up on your path because of the opinions of others. Refuse to be swayed by those who do not walk in your shoes and do not understand your journey.

A conscience free from guilt leads to tranquility of the mind, and only a tranquil mind can see things as they truly are.

Every action we take, everything we do, is either a victory or defeat in the struggle to become what we want to be. Anne Byrhhe

Our grand business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand. Thomas Carlyle

It is not the opinion of the common man that matters, but the opinion of men for whom you admire and truly respect.

Focus on making yourself better, not thinking you are better.

I am not a warrior because I know what to do in a fight. I am a warrior because I know how to behave in every situation.

Be above the negative energy of others. Refuse to allow their negativity to affect you. Instead, allow your positive energy to cancel their negative energy.

The secret of success is before attempting anything, be very clear about why you are doing it.” If you don’t know your objective or the purpose behind your action, how can you possibly know if your actions are right?

A black belt is nothing more than a belt, a piece of cloth. Your ultimate goal should not be to get your black belt. Your ultimate goal should be to be a black belt. Being a black belt is a state of mind, a way of life.

It is not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; and not what we profess but what we practice that gives us integrity.

The best piece of wisdom I can give you - never completely trust anyone besides yourself!

Don't allow anyone to do your thinking for you. Think for yourself and live YOUR LIFE by YOUR RULES, not someone else's rules.

Conduct yourself in a manner that is worthy of respect and don’t worry about what others think.

The repercussion of your thoughts are like ripples in the water; you never know how far they will reach.

Always find a way to profit from the actions of your haters. When they go low, use them as stepping stones!

While there is nothing wrong with practicing martial arts, meditating, reading and studying, or even eating pie, excess in any of these areas will cause a problem in another area.

Unless you learn to control your thoughts, you will never be able to control your actions; and if you can’t control your actions, you are walking on thin ice.

Be careful of your thoughts; they are the beginning of your acts.

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world. Buddha

Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.

The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.

Only an honorable victory is a true victory.

You can't do wrong right, but you can do right wrong.

Don't entertain others at the expense of your reputation.

Seek not the favor of the mulititude; it is seldom got by honest and lawful means. But seek the testimony of few; and number not voices, but weigh them. Immanuel Kant

Emerson pointed out, “The test of courage comes when we are in the minority.

It does no good to clean up spilled milk if you are still pouring it out of the carton.

How others see you is not as important as how you see yourself!

Let whoever think whatever. Just keep getting better every day. Bohdi Sanders

Sometimes things don't turn out like we would like. So it is wise to prepare for the worst. I know this sounds like an oxymoron, to expect the best, but prepare for the worst, but it isn't.

Your enemies have to know that you are a formidable foe and that coming against you will cost them more than their effort is worth. With men of low character, it pays to maintain a reputation of being strong.

Don't feel the need to vent or complain, no matter how badly you would like to express your feelings. When it comes to speaking of those in power, always think of the consequences. Think about how those around you will perceive what you have to say. Will what you say be of advantage to you or will it hurt you in the end?

It is better to keep your opinions of other people to yourself and not share those feelings with others. There is no reason for you to express your opinion concerning those in power. Mind your own business and keep your opinions to yourself.

Be independent of the opinions of others. Don’t be easily influenced by what they say or what they believe. You have to take the time to meditate on what you know is right and wrong. Know what your code of ethics is and do not allow the arguments of others to cause you to doubt what you know is right. You must remain true to your convictions, even if everyone else disagrees with you.

You will find that if you will always stand for what's right, your self-confidence will increase. The more you stand for your values, the easier it will become to stand against the pressures of life. Soon, you will become a rock that cannot be moved, even in the greatest storms.

Stop worrying about what other people think and decide who you want to be, and then be that person. Worrying about what other people think puts you in chains and limits what you can do because you are constrained by fitting in the mold that others make for you. Break out of that mold and become independent of the thoughts of others.

If you are willing to allow someone else to be victimized, while you stay neutral or do nothing, then you are not only a coward, but you are part of the problem in this world.

Once you get your mind right, happiness and inner peace is sure to follow.

Failures are nothing more than the dues you have to pay to get where you want to be in life.

Funny how those who can't are always criticizing those who do.

Fear is a reaction; courage is a response.

Always think of your overall objective and the consequences of every action, no matter how small it may be.

Staying on your chosen path is okay. Exploring new paths is okay. Starting over is okay. Allowing other people’s opinions to cause you to quit is NOT okay!

You can't run from who you are. The best you can do is take who are you are and make the best YOU that you can be.

Be smart, not impulsive!

The man who does not plan for the future will come to regret it.

The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts. Marcus Aurelius

The man of principle never forgets what he is, because of what others are.

There is no such thing as standing still; you either move forward or regress.

The superior man responds; the inferior man reacts.

Respect is both earned and lost.

You have to be strong enough to stand up for what you believe, even if you are standing alone.

You can't improve anything if you don't first know what needs to be improved.

Excellence is a way of life.

Making a decision to live a life of excellence, and living a life of excellence are two difference things.

The real truth lies below the surface.

Men and women of principle do not lower their standards to satisfy their ego.

Speak to people in a way that if they died the next day, you’d be satisfied with the last thing you said to them.

It is not only the will to win, but the will to prepare that makes a difference.

The best you can do is the best that you can do; just make sure that you are actually doing the best that you can do and not deceiving yourself.

I don’t always do what’s NICE, but I will always do what’s RIGHT.

Confuse them with your silence. Shock them with your results.

The success of very important matters often depends on doing or not doing something that seems trivial. Even in little things, therefore, you must be cautious and thoughtful. Francesco Guicciardini

Takuan Soho stated, “Each action of the warrior is performed from a place of fundamental wisdom…it is completely different from the ordinary behavior of a fool. Even if it looks the same, it is different on the inside.

The wise man will always look past the superficial to what lies beneath. Don't be satisfied with the outward appearance of things, dig deeper and get to the very core. See things as they truly are, not as people would have you see them.

Victory comes when you pull yourself together – spirit, mind and body. When you have developed all three to the point that you are balanced, you will find the courage to be brave when you are scared, which will make you strong when you are weak.

There are many people in this world who depend on being able to control your mind and emotions. Once you learn to control your own mind, your emotions, and your feelings, you become very dangerous in their eyes because they can no longer control you.

In every generation, there are those who refuse to lower themselves, who refuse to compromise their character when tempted, who do the right thing no matter what. There are also those who do not care enough to stand against temptation. It is not because they can't, but they don't. And then there are the one who actively choose to be malicious, to hurt people for their own gain or just out of spite; these are the evil ones.

It is not necessary or advantageous to give your opinion about everything to everyone. It is not your job to be a form of cheap entertainment for those around you. This is a trap that is very easy to fall into and is the downfall of many people. While it is certainly okay to chat with your buddies or other people about meaningless things in order to be affable, you should be careful of your conversation even on such relaxed occasions. It is all too easy to get carried away with your conversation and express opinions which can be offensive and used against you at a later time. Be genial and social, but at the same time be aware and thoughtful concerning your private beliefs.

Keep your focus on what you are becoming, not your current circumstances.

Rise from the ashes of the old year like the phoenix and become the person you truly want to be. Bohdi Sanders

Don’t accept failure as an option.

You are not responsible for how other people act. You are responsible for your actions and for living up to the standards that you have set for yourself.

Your thoughts direct your life. What you think is much more important that most people realize. When you lose, you are not defeated; it is merely a temporary set back or learning opportunity. You are never defeated until you declare defeat and quit fighting for what you want.

Once you get your mind right, happiness and inner peace are sure to follow.

Do the right thing, at the right time, and in the right way.

December 11 My enemy is not the man who wrongs me, but the man who means to wrong me. Democritus Every enemy has the capability to disrupt your life, some in a small way and others to a much larger capacity, but not many of them go to the effort to cause you harm. The fact that you don’t openly see enemies attacking you physically, verbally or discreetly behind your back, doesn’t mean that you do not have any enemies. It simply means that your enemies are not malevolent enough or energetic enough to make the effort to cause you harm, but their lack of effort should not be mistaken for a lack of malevolence toward you. As Democritus taught, just because a man does you no harm, it doesn’t mean he is not your enemy. You have to look deeper than that. You have to read between the lines. Your enemy is not only the man who wrongs you, but also the man who longs to see you wronged. He is the man who is happy when you are hit with misfortune, the man who celebrates your downfall. Your enemy is the person who wishes you calamity, even if he doesn’t have the courage to openly state the fact or to actually try to act on it. Be careful who you trust. You don’t always know who your enemies are. They are not always those who openly oppose you. The enemies of a good man are usually not men of character and backbone. They are more likely to be men of low character who lack the courage to openly come against you. Instead, they find it easier to simply sit back and think malicious thoughts of your ruin. Be wise and learn to read people’s spirits. Be careful who you trust. I always guard myself well. No enemy can hurt me!

December 21 Trust your instinct to the end, though you can render no reason. Ralph Waldo Emerson The warrior has to trust his instinct, even if it goes against what everyone else thinks is right. Warriors must be able to count on their own sense of right and wrong, and be able to choose the right course of action. This only comes with time. You have to develop confidence in your own intuition. Your intuition will not lead you in the wrong direction, but you do have to learn how to listen to it. A few years back my wife and I were both teaching school in a small school district in Missouri. We were not happy there and wanted to get back to the Rocky Mountains, but couldn’t find teaching positions for the both of us in the same area. The choice was for us to stay where we were or just pick up, pack a truck, and move back to Colorado without any jobs. Now this would seem like an obvious choice to most people – keep your job. But we decided to listen to our instinct instead and stepped out on a limb. Our instinct told us it was time to go, so we packed a truck and moved to Colorado with no job prospects. Everyone who knew us thought that this was a ridiculous decision, but we felt it was right. In the end, we both found great jobs and everything worked out for the best. We listened to that inner voice instead of all the outside voices and outside reasoning, even though what our intuition was telling us seemed to be the unwise move to make. Always trust your instinct, even when you can’t figure out the logic behind it. I trust my intuition and it always guides me right.

December 19 Beware that you do not lose the substance by grasping at the shadow. Aesop As a warrior, you have to see things as they really are, not just as they appear to be. The majority of people are moved by hollow appearances of things. Just look at how many people actually believe the empty campaign rhetoric spewed out by politicians each year. Rational people realize that these politicians are little more than pandering liars, but people still vote for them. It is disgraceful! Don’t be like the sheep that just go along, believing whatever is presented to them as the truth. Look beyond the shadow and see the substance that is casting the shadow. It is easy to lose the substance by grasping at the shadow. Fish never see the hook, only the bait. You have to remain aware. Don’t be conned. Don’t allow your attention to be side tracked to the shadow, while the substance goes unnoticed. This is what seems to happen to the majority of the people; they focus on the shadow instead of the physical reality. The substance of your martial arts is self-defense and character training. The shadows are tournaments, perfecting your forms, points, decorum, or anything that distracts you from your true objectives. I’m not saying that all of these things do not have a place in the martial arts, but the warrior must never mistake these things for the actual purpose of his training. Don’t be caught striving to appear to be a warrior, be a warrior. Cultivate the root and the leaves and branches will take care of themselves. I always look at the reality behind the shadow.

The greatest man is he who chooses the right with invincible resolution; who resists the sorest temptations from within and without; who bears the heaviest burdens cheerfully; who is calmest in storms and most fearless under menace and frowns; and whose reliance of truth, on virtue, and on God, is most unfaltering.” Choose

The important thing to understand from this chapter is that your thoughts are extremely important. They play a major part in either the success or the failure of everything that you do. You can literally change your world by changing your thoughts. Napoleon Hill wrote, “We are the master of our fate, the captains of our souls, because we have the power to control our thoughts.” There are many things outside of the realm of your control, but your thoughts are one thing that you have total control over. You dictate your path by controlling your thoughts.

Visualization is basically the process of making a movie in your mind. You want to see yourself in many different situations, using your martial arts skills or your de-escalation skills to walk away from specific conflicts victoriously. The key to successful visualization is that you always see yourself being victorious. You don’t want to visualize yourself screwing up or making mistakes. Visualizing yourself losing or messing up, is like practicing your martial arts skills incorrectly, over and over again.

Marcus Aurelius wrote in his wonderful book, Meditations, “The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.” If you allow your emotions to control your thoughts, then there will be times when you are allowing anger, fear, passion, and frustrations to affect your actions. This can get you into some major trouble. The warrior must not allow himself to be controlled by emotions such as these. He has to make sure that his actions are guided by rational thought – not emotions.

Plato taught us that, “Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.” The sages throughout the ages have echoed this very sentiment about the inferior man. The book of Proverbs states, “A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.” And Chuang Tzu taught, “Fools regard themselves as already awake.” They think they are smarter than other people.

If your thoughts are not right, your actions won't be right.

Confucius taught this when he said, “The superior man seeks what is right; the inferior man, what is profitable.

For things to be right on the outside, they first have to be right on the inside.

What is right is the ultimate law and trumps the law of the land.

William Ellery Channing described the man of character as, “The greatest man is he who chooses the right with invincible resolution; who resists the sorest temptations from within and without; who bears the heaviest burdens cheerfully; who is calmest in storms and most fearless under menace and frowns; and whose reliance of truth, on virtue, and on God, is most unfaltering.

Demophilus stated, “Do what you know to be good without expecting from it any glory. Forget not that the vulgar are a bad judge of good actions.

When your intentions are right and honorable, then your conscience is clear.

December 1 Because a human being is so malleable, whatever one cultivates is what one becomes. Lao Tzu Lao Tzutells us in theTao Te Ching,that whatever you cultivate, whatever you practice, you become. You have to be careful of your thoughts and your actions. Your thoughts become your actions, your actions become your habits, and your habits become your character. Be aware of what kind of character traits you are cultivating and make sure that they are the character traits of a warrior. If you have cultivated something in your garden that you don’t want growing there, take steps to remove it from the roots. Keep your garden weed free. Don’t keep the weeds under control, remove them. Science tells us that it takes anywhere from 30 to 45 days for something to become a habit. That is, if you want to make something a part of your life, practice it for 30 to 45 days, without skipping a day. This fixes that behavior in your mind and causes it to become a habit. It doesn’t matter what the behavior is. Your mind and body do not discriminate. They will accept whatever you decide to cultivate. For this reason it is important that you carefully consider your actions, especially the actions which are part of your daily routine. Bad habits are easy to develop; quality habits take more discipline, at least in the beginning. After something becomes a habit, it takes very little effort to continue to make it part of your life. It becomes natural and essentially automatic. This is the point that you want to reach in your character training, as well as the other vital parts of the warrior lifestyle. I cultivate courage, honor, and integrity.

December 3 Only one who continually reexamines himself and corrects his faults will grow. The Hagakure Anyone seeking to perfect his character has to continually examine himself in order to correct the things in his life that need to be corrected. All men have faults. Every man has his own personal shortcomings, yes, even the best trained warriors and men of honor have faults that they need to continually keep in check and correct. This is just part of being human. One of the differences between the warrior and other men is that he continually tries to correct his faults, instead of just ignoring them. He is not satisfied allowing them to control his life or parts of his life. He continually examines himself and molds his life in the way that he knows he should live. Every morning, recall the code that you strive to live by, and every night reflect on whether or not you have been successful in living up to your code of honor. Look for ways in which you have fallen short in your quest and determine what you should have done differently, and know that you will handle that situation differently the next time. Strive to improve your life and your character every day. Little by little your character will be perfected, just as drop by drop the water wears away the stone. Be patient with yourself and continue with your quest. Successes, whether in the warrior lifestyle or any other endeavor, consist of not giving up. Don’t quit, just continue to press on with each new day. Every day is a new chance to start with a clean slate. I reexamine myself regularly and correct my faults.

December 8 Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought. Thomas Mann How does a man of action think? Well, to start with, he thinks about what can be done to solve the problem at hand or to make things better. The man of action is a go-getter. He doesn’t wait to see what others think or depend on others to step up while he minds his own business. The man of action wants to get things done and make things right. His thoughts center on accomplishing his goals, and doing so in the most efficient manner possible. “Do it now and do it right” is his mantra. The man of thought on the other hand, likes to think things through before he makes a move. He examines all the possible outcomes of his actions and tries to see the situation from all sides. Realizing that there is more to most things than meets the eye, he delves deeper into things in order to develop a true understanding of them. He searches for the truth so he can make decisions based on facts rather than emotions. Justice and honor are foremost on his mind. The warrior should find balance between the traits of the two types of men. Think like a man of action, but act like a man of thought. Be ready for action and know what action is needed should things come to that, but at the same time, be calm, collected and rational like a man of thought. Think things through before you speak or act. Don’t be rash. Integrate these traits into one and find a sense of balance between the two. A calm, rational mind which is always ready for action is a trait of the true warrior. I think like a man of action. I act like a man of thought.

November 30 Hear all sides and you will be enlightened. Hear one side and you will be in the dark. Wei Zheng Everyone perceives things through their own lens. There are very few people who can give you an unbiased opinion on any subject. If you have five people who witness a fight, you will get five different accounts of what happened, maybe not on the main points, but they will differ concerning the details. For this reason, it is always wise to hear all sides of the story before you form any opinions. True life court shows on television demonstrate this fact. They will go through the evidence and present the prosecution’s side of the case, and you think to yourself, “this guy is guilty as sin,” but when the defense presents their case, many times you start to see things in a different light. Don’t be too quick to form a decision. Once you have heard all sides of the issue, then you can form your opinion concerning the matter at hand. Strive to see things as they really are, not as they appear. Look for the truth. Too many people make decisions without having all of the pertinent information needed to come to a wise conclusion. Without all the information, you’re just guessing. Don’t be too quick to totally trust the information that you receive from someone else. Trust but verify. Don’t be duped, hear all sides before you make important decisions. Make sure that what you think is truly what you think, and not simply someone else’s thoughts which have been seeded in your mind. I hear all sides before I act.

Your thoughts become your desires; your desires lead to your actions; your actions change your life.

November 29 Lay down for yourself, at the outset, a certain stamp and type of character for yourself which you are to maintain whether you are by yourself or are meeting with people. Epictetus You may be thinking that it must be exhausting having to make all these decisions every day concerning what is right and what is wrong, as you walk the path of the warrior. But that is really not the way it is. The warrior does not have to mentally debate every issue that comes along to decide which action is right or wrong. The issue of how the warrior will live has already been decided. He has already set the standards that he will live by, and he knows what he stands for and what he will not stand for. These decisions have already been made. What the warriormust do on a daily basis isactually liveby the standards that he has set for himself. He knows what is right and what is wrong, and he knows that it is his duty to maintain his character and to have the courage to do what is right. His code is not for show. He doesn’t use it to impress people. It is his way of life. It is who he is. The warrior knows all of this. All that is left for him to do is to put all these things into action. Whether he is alone or with others, he must live up to his standards. He has determined the type of character that he wants for himself, and he knows in order to develop and maintain that character, he must make it a vital part of who he is, whether alone or with other people. Make a firm decision concerning how you will live your life, and stick to it. I decide what my character will be and I choose to be a warrior.

The superior man’s self-worth is not dependent on the opinions of others. Bohdi Sanders

You do not have to prove yourself to anyone, nor do you have to justify your beliefs or the way you live your life.

You must be aware of the words, thoughts, and beliefs that you are constantly feeding your subconscious mind. It does no good to spend 10 minutes on positive affirmations and then spend the rest of the day carelessly speaking negatively about yourself and putting yourself down. Ten minutes of positive affirmations will not cancel out an entire day of negative, self-defeating speech!

You become a man not when you reach a certain age, but when you reach a certain state of mind.

Thomas Paine stated, “Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.

never send a sheep to kill a wolve !

Never send a sheep to kill a wolf !

Never send a sheep to kill a wolf !

Things must get right on the inside before they can get right on the outside.

Don’t let anyone see the full extent of your power or talents. Always keep something hidden in reserve.

It is your intention that determines your honor. While it is acceptable to deceive people to protect yourself or your family, it is totally unacceptable to flat out lie to people to profit from your deception. The first is an honorable act, while the latter is totally dishonorable.

When you have a powerful urge to act on pure emotion, stop yourself and think rationally.

Winners go beyond the bare minimum. Just “getting done” doesn’t cut it. Shoot for excellence in everything that you do.

Your reputation is what other people think about you; your honor depends exclusively on you, not the opinions of others.

Being hated by idiots is the price you pay for not being one of them.

When you change your perception of a circumstance or situation, you change your thoughts about it; and when you change your thoughts about it, you are changing how you respond to it.

Refuse to allow anyone to take control of your mind and disrupt your inner peace!

My spirituality does not have to meet the standards of what others consider to be spiritual. I walk my own path, and it is just as valid as anyone else’s.

Never bring up someone's past when they’ve changed and become a better person!

It only takes a single moment of allowing your emotions to control your actions to destroy your life.