Matthew first heard the call of Warrior in 2013 and initially rejected it. But in 2015, when he hit what he calls his second rock bottom, it put him in enough pain to realize that his life wasn’t working. Thus began his personal journey of discovery. Welcome to Warrior Week: Parables From the Pit, with your host Coach Sam Falsafi and his special guest Matthew Lee.

Parable #1: The Call of Warrior

• Matthew first heard the call of Warrior in 2013 and initially rejected it. But in 2015, when he hit what he calls his second rock bottom, it put him in enough pain to realize that his life wasn’t working. Thus began his personal journey of discovery.
• As he traveled to his first Warrior event, he knew that the man he left behind in Chicago was dead. He was ready for change, and from the moment he stepped into the room with the other guys, Matthew knew this was the place he was meant to be.

What was taking place in your life when you first heard the call of Warrior?

Parable #2: The COVID-19 Pause

• COVID-19 has created a lot of emotion. When emotions are high, intelligence tends to be low. Coach Sam reflects, “Worldwide, we have put human momentum on pause because of fear of the unknown; because of the lack of faith to take a leap. We’ve decided to walk back and pause. And today, I have a huge appreciation for this pause.”
• This pause has given all of us the time to look at our reflection in the mirror at who we are today and what we’re becoming. The anger, blame, guilt, and shame that we feel is driving who we’re becoming rather than being driven by compassionate, unconditional love.

How are you using this time in history to reflect?

 

Parable #3: The Knock At the Door

• Matthew explains, “In life, we have these knocks at the door; times when we fall down. These are simply an opportunity. When I feel something, that’s a trigger, a sign, a knock at the door that I need to go discover. It’s the sound that someone or something wants to gain entry.”
• But oftentimes, we will use our “already always listening voices” to silence the knocks at our door. The gift is found in recognizing that things that happen in our lives happen FOR us, not to us. “I had to have all of that pain unleashed on me to be open and ready.”

How are you responding to the knocks at your door?

Parable #4: Feel the Pain

• The genesis of any change comes down to daily decisions and defining decisions. A change in the way we perceive ourselves and others happens over time, not overnight. It’s a process and a commitment, dedication, and devotion to a cause.
• “If you truly don’t understand the “why” behind why you must change, then you’re just putting a bandage on the wound. Which means you’re no longer feeling the pain. But if you feel pain, you have begun the investigation into why this thing matters. You must feel the pain, and you must have tactical empathy.”

What are you doing to understand they “why” behind change?

 

Parable #5: Separation

• As human beings, we don’t all witness the same unfairness, which is why it is difficult to understand one another. Coach Sam is a child of war who unspeakable horrors while the rest of the world was in denial. “For over thirty years, I have kept this pain inside of me. How come nobody heard our cry? How the fuck do I purge that?”
• Most of us have been taught that there is me, there’s we, and there’s them. Matthew explains, “I’ve been taught to look across at “them” and pick apart everything they’re doing wrong. That’s a test. If I learn to love, I pass the test. I let go of what I’ve been hanging onto and try on a new perspective.”

Are you passing the test?

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“Parables from the Pit“

“One of the misconceptions about Warrior is that weak men go to become strong. But that’s not it. Powerful men come to Warrior and recognize the weak game they have been playing. It’s not the man that is weak; it’s the cheap games he’s been playing.”

–-Sam Falsafi

“How we show up in the world in one way is how we show up in all ways.”

–– Matthew Lee