Strategy

So I'm involved in two fantasy football leagues which I am enjoying quite a bit.  Most people who know me would think me the least likely person to become involved in this sort of past time, and normally I would agree.  I am a casual football fan at best and see the sport as no different from any other leisure activity.  For me it is much like watching a movie - when its over, its over.  I don't think much about teams and standings and individual players.

Then what's the appeal of fantasy football?  The answer is a little complex, but for the most part its not really about football, its about statistics and strategy.  It's the strategy element that has the most interest for me.

A friend of mine, a new player in the league, said she uses strategy based on both Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" and the board game Risk.  Okay, sounds interesting.  Since I've rekindled my love of the martial arts recently I've also revisited Sun Tzu, Miayomoto Musashi's The Book of Five Rings, Yamamoto Tsunetomo's Hagakure.

They are all books on warfare, strategy, and the proper way of life for the samurai.  They haven't been all that helpful in moving me out of 9th place in my league, but they have been very useful in helping me shape a new path for my life.  I'm not one for following another's path blindly or in its entirety, but you can draw wisdom and understanding from many sources - with some offering unique insight and some reinforcing the ideas of others; all helpful in navigating this strange and wonderful life.  Here are some of my favorite strategies of simply being:

From The Book of Five Rings:

•  
• Do not think dishonestly. 
• The Way is in training. 
• Become acquainted with every art. 
• Know the Ways of professions. 
• Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters. 
• Develop intuitive judgement and understanding for everything. 
• Perceive those things which cannot be seen. 
• Pay attention even to trifles. 
• Do nothing which is of no use. 

 

"In strategy your spiritual bearing must not be any different from normal. Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm. Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased. Even when your spirit is calm do not let your body relax, and when your body is relaxed do not let your spirit slacken. Do not let your spirit be influenced by your body, or your body be influenced by your spirit. Be neither insufficiently spirited nor over spirited. An elevated spirit is weak and a low spirit is weak. Do not let the enemy see your spirit."

 

“You can only fight the way you practice” 

 "Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men.”

 “Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world”  

“There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself.”  

“The ultimate aim of martial arts is not having to use them”