[Music]

Once upon a time in feudal Japan, there

lived a young samurai named Yuki who

dreamed of becoming the greatest warrior

in the land. He would spend hours

speaking about his plans, reading

stories of famous battles and imagining

himself winning great victories. Yuki

dreamed of mastering many weapons,

learning advanced strategies, and

earning honor for his clan. He truly

believed that having such strong

ambition would naturally lead him to

greatness. Yet, when the time came to

train, Yuki always found excuses to

avoid the hard work. He told himself the

weather was not right or that he was not

feeling well, or that he needed to plan

more carefully before beginning. Years

passed and while Yuki's dreams grew

larger, his skills remained small.

Younger warriors who trained everyday

soon surpassed him and Yuki came to

realize a painful truth. His dreams had

not lifted him higher. They had made him

weaker. His ambition without action had

left him frustrated, unprepared, and

full of regret. This story reveals a

truth about human nature. Yuki believed

that strong ambition and clear goals

would naturally push him to act. But his

identity as a dreamer created a gap

between what he desired and what he was

willing to do. He found comfort in

imagining his future rather than

enduring the discomfort of daily

practice. He discovered, as many do,

that motivation cannot bridge the gap

between wanting and doing. In fact, the

more he spoke of his plans without

acting, the more his mind rewarded him

as if he had already achieved something.

His dreams became a trap and his

inaction became his downfall. The

samurai understood how dangerous this

gap between wanting and doing can be.

Dreams without action quietly waste

time, and time once lost can never be

reclaimed. The larger our goals, the

easier it is to feel overwhelmed by

their distance and the more likely we

are to delay the small steps that bring

them closer. We tell ourselves that

preparation is progress, but in reality,

we are simply drifting further from the

work that matters. Centuries ago, the

great swordsman Miiamoto Mousashi

grasped this truth. Unlike those who try

to transform their lives in a single

moment of inspiration, Mousashi devoted

himself to small steady actions

performed every day. He knew that

greatness was not built in sudden bursts

of energy, but through the quiet rhythm

of repetition. The samurai, though known

for their dramatic battles, became

strong through the humble discipline of

daily practice. They trained not when

they felt ready but because training was

their way of life. To wait for

motivation before beginning is like

waiting for perfect weather before

starting a journey. You may wait forever

while others who are willing to walk

even in the rain reach their destination

ahead of you. The truth is that

motivation is not the spark that creates

action. More often it is the flame that

follows it. Action brings momentum and

momentum gives rise to the energy we

mistake for inspiration. Those who

achieve the most are not the ones who

feel inspired every day but the ones who

act even when they do not feel like it.

The samurai captured this principle in

the teaching of Kaizen Nomi, the way of

small improvements. The mountain is

climbed one step at a time, they said,

not by staring at its peak and wishing

to be there. Even if the steps seem

small, they lead to strength because

they are repeated. Even if the progress

seems slow, it builds into mastery

because it does not stop. Imagine a

samurai student who feels too lazy to

train yet chooses to practice a single

sword form each morning. His friends

laugh at the tiny effort and tell him it

is useless. But he continues. Over time,

the movement becomes automatic. His body

grows stronger, his technique sharper,

his discipline deeper. Months later, he

realizes he has built a foundation that

allows him to learn advanced skills with

ease while his friends who waited for

motivation remain at the beginning. In

this way, the smallest step can carry

greater power than the grandest plan.

The lesson is clear. Preparation without

practice is simply disguised

procrastination. Talking without doing

creates the illusion of progress while

leaving us unchanged. Waiting for

motivation is nothing more than handing

control of our future to our emotions.

The samurai knew that strength lies not

in feeling ready but in acting despite

resistance. Yagyu Munanori, one of the

great samurai teachers once said, "The

sword that waits for perfect conditions

never leaves its sheath." "If you wait

for the right moment, you may wait

forever." Our need for motivation often

comes from fear. We fear the discomfort

of starting when we feel tired, the

resistance of continuing when we lack

energy, or the possibility that our

efforts will not feel rewarding right

away. Yet, discipline is not about

avoiding these feelings. It is about

moving through them. True strength is

not the ability to act when conditions

are perfect, but the ability to act when

conditions are not. The samurai way to

break laziness is therefore simple, but

profound. Begin with small daily

actions, no matter how insignificant

they may seem. Do not wait to feel

ready, for readiness is an illusion. Do

not place your trust in emotion, for

feelings are fleeting. Instead, place

your trust in habits and commitments,

for they built the foundation of all

achievement. As the warriors once said,

"I am not controlled by my feelings. I

am guided by my commitments."

Strength does not mean saying I feel

like doing this. Strength means saying I

will do this whether I feel like it or

not. The power to act without waiting

for motivation is the power to shape

your life. Thank you for watching.