When competing online or really in any form of competition for that matter – there should always be practice, strategy, and flexibility. Whether it is a sport or just for fun there needs to be time put in, but it has to be quality time. You can do push-ups, but if you’re not doing them correctly you can hurt yourself or come out with no real break-down of the muscles. You can have a pre-dispositioned strategy to beat the Golden State Warriors, but if your opponent switches up their play-calling or line-up and you’re strategy isn’t ready for the change, you will most likely see defeat; this is why it is important to be flexible and be able to adapt. These key factors: practice, strategy, and flexibility are essential to great champions and long lasting civilizations.

Sun Tzu (Sun Wu) wrote the Art of War roughly around 500 BC (just to give you a general idea of when.) Historical documents dating back this far are tough to cross-reference and get a specific timeline. Without going into too much depth, let’s just say he was the Lebron James, the Michael Jordan, the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) when it came to being a General and military strategist. Even Sun Tzu recognized thousands of years ago that:

“If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the General is to blame.”

Art of War Introduction pg. 10-11, written by Sun Tzu(Wu) published by Arcturus

As a manager, leader, coach, or even a gamer controlling an avatar in a virtual world, it is your responsibility to ensure that the messages and commands are clear and understood. So if trying to be a strong competitor, it is imperative to practice with intensity so that when the muscles understand when put under stress, the commands are clean and clear, the team is all on the same page, and/or the employee knows exactly what and how to get their work done.

When it comes to strategy it is always beneficial to scout your opponent, or, in the example of video games to know what capabilities the other characters/team possess. For example in Smash Bros. Ultimate it is good to play through the Classic mode with all characters, even if on the easiest difficulty, for the sake of knowing what they can do; this way when you face them you won’t be in the dark and caught off guard. Growing up on Age of Empires it was imperative to know what the other civilizations’ special units were and what their strengths and weaknesses are. With enough practice and enough time spent learning and really comprehending the game as a whole you can then begin to develop strategies virtually instantaneously.

“All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.”

Art of War, pg. 23, Sun Tzu published by Arcturus

When it comes to survival there are no rules; when it comes to winning one must push the boundary (without breaking rules or cheating of course) to find their opponents weaknesses and utilize one owns’ strengths. If you want to be the best at something learn as much as you can, learn how to practice the fundamentals and build them into muscle-memory, scout out your opponents and adversaries in the game, and do whatever is necessary to win. One of basketball coaches in the past used to always tell us “you don’t get points for style;” additionally, we see in competition all the time that it isn’t who is the best, rather, who plays the best.

“Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating the spirit of enterprise; for the result is waste of time and general stagnation.”

Art of War, pg. 118, Sun Tzu

I have decided to start expanding my writing with video and audio. I don’t know what exactly I’m doing or what is needed but this is all a part of the learning process. If there was one beneficial learning point I took away from my Bachelor’s program it was how to learn.

Investment and risk are required for just about everything entrepreneurial and that is part of the excitement. The plan is to tie-in this blog with a Youtube channel and collaborate my writings with videos that expand on what I’m trying to convey. There is a plethora of information on the web and other social media platforms on how to get started, but I find most of them to be somewhat scattered and clearly milking minute-by-minute for the sake of revenue (not all, not all, not all!) I want to be able to condense the content, get straight to the point, and hope that genuine content will reap rewards enough to be sustainable on my own.

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe sourced from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/234067

The reason I journal these excerpts is to help motivate others and give direction (if seeked) to help minimize wasted time, energy, and resources for others. I will be adding some reviews on the hardware that is need to stream on Twitch and to capture audio and video from the Nintendo Switch. Believe me when I say I am far from affiliates and sponsorship so there is no monetary bias for the content to come – at this point…

The first step in Love Sage Heroes LLC. evolution was the creation of a Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Twitch, Tumblr and self-evident Word-Press (this blog.)

Stay tuned for more content and links and all the good stuff necessary to reach as many people as possible. Remember, everything requires some level of capital and time investment… nothing is without risk.

“Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.” 

Peter Drucker sourced from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/234067

Very early on in elementary school my classmates and I were taught about Egyptian Mythology – this was the first introduction to mythology. About the same time Egyptian Lego sets were introduced and I remember my parents getting me the Lego sets and books on the subject for Christmas; I was absolutely enthralled. Something about learning of human history and the idea of all these different Gods and administrators of the Universe was very intriguing.

In high school we began to delve into Roman and Greek Mythology, both of which are also very interesting topics. How can one ignore the basis of theology, philosophy, and literature? As a young child, it made Catholicism seem really boring! Of course as I matured and learned more and experienced more, Christianity along with Hinduism became the pillars of my grasp on reality – but that can be talked about until Kingdom Come and at another time. Before I go any further I think it is absolutely critical to human progress to keep an open-mind; to not dismiss anything until it is at least taken into account; specifically, the role of video games on modern society as a form of entertainment, literature, and influence on our youth.

It wasn’t until my twenties that I stumbled upon a very important book: Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton, published way back in 1940 and given to me by my older brother, Sam (thanks Sam for all the knowledge you have shared with me over the years!) The book goes into great lengths about classic stories and myths spreading across Greek, Roman, and Norse Mythology. The one key ingredient missing to my general understanding of historical human belief was Norse mythology.

If I can express one important aspect of mythologies of old, it would be the Norse belief of heroism. Edith Hamilton does an excellent job of projecting the key to understanding Norse Mythology one must first understand the mortality of men and their idea of Heroism. The very quick and general idea of heroism is this: doing what is right even when facing certain defeat or death.

“The power of good is shown not by triumphantly conquering evil, but by continuing to resist evil while facing certain defeat.”

Mythology, pg. 301 by Edith Hamilton

If you believe in a cause, are you willing to die for it; are you willing to kill for it; there is a critical difference but both are equally important. To kill anything living is to kill something within yourself, this is a sacrifice one must make and a decision one must consider. However, the ultimate selfless sacrifice is to die for the cause. This can be taken metaphorically, objectively and subjectively. There is a key to every lock, everyone’s bubble is capable of being popped, so resorting to violence on others in any other form of clear and distinct self-defense is never a solution – let me be clear on that. Today is a different time than it was then and as brute and savage the Norsemen were the current state of affairs don’t require such primal behavior. Everything is very situational and again, heroism requires choices to be made.

“All the best Northern tales are tragic, about men and women who go steadfastly forward to meet death, often deliberately choose it, even plan it long beforehand. The only light in the darkness is heroism”

Mythology, pg. 302 by Edith Hamilton

The difference between Norse mythology and all other beliefs is that the Gods were not invincible, would one day face tragedy, eventually fall from greatness. The difference is if you are invincible, what in the spirit requires heroism? One is guaranteed victory… so what is the sacrifice? The account of Christ is so epic because of the sacrifice made in the name of good – even upon facing the most despicable and torturous death. If Superman goes into a burning building, what act of heroism is it in comparison to the mind of a fireman who is far more vulnerable?

“No god of Greece could be heroic. All the Olympians were immortal and invincible. They could never feel the glow of courage; they could never defy danger. When they fought they were sure of victory and no harm could ever come near them.”

Mythology, pg. 308 by Edith Hamilton

What is so great about being a player in a video game, from an imaginative perspective, is the idea that eventually the game will end and the story will be over. What is so difficult for me as a gamer are the games with no clear ending – these have no real goal and give a sense of being eternal – which for me is undesirable. “Without death, what is the meaning of life?” a quote from The Way Remastered.

Endings in video games are the goal. The goal is to see that cut-scene, to feel that sense (even if in imitation) of achievement for completing the heroic journey. For video games, there is this somber feeling subtly marinating in the sub-conscious that this journey will eventually end. Some endings are rejoicing, some are tragic… the true sadness comes from knowing that no emotions can be felt anymore at all because the game is over. Video games are the virtual heroism: only digitally (or analog) is anything really being sacrificed. Video games have their place in the world, but they are not reality. Play responsibly, but if you’re going to play do it with imagination and with heroism!

I want to end this blog post with a few poems that grant the literary and philosophical ingenuity of what is often considered a primitive and savage culture; hopefully, this will be enlightening for those who know very little of the Viking people:

“There lies less good than most believe
In ale for mortal men;
A man knows nothing if he knows not
That wealth oft begets an ape;
A coward thinks he will live forever
If only he can shun warfare;
Tell one your thoughts, but beware of two
All known what is known to three.
A silly man lies awake all night,
Thinking of many things.
When the morning comes he is worn with care,
And his trouble is just as it was.”

Mythology, pg. 314 by Edith Hamilton from the Elder Eddas

Since I was young I have always felt as though certain video games are true works of art; comparable to a movie or a book – but you get to make every move and be the actor/actress. It can be argued that video games are the most interactive form of story telling…

One of my favorite pieces of literature is the Tao Te Ching – which translates to many things, as transliteration is often difficult, but for the sake of this point let us go with integrity, or the Way and the Path. Before I proceed, please check out Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching transliterated by William H. Mair.

What’s very interesting about the Tao (pronounced Dao) is the wisdom dating back millennial – roughly 530 B.C. (Lao Tzu wiki.) It isn’t about just a way, but rather the Way. Who would have had the foresight thousands of years ago? Observe:

“Now, the more taboos under heaven,
the poorer the people;
The more clever devices people have,
the more confused the state and ruling house;
The more knowledge people have,
the more strange things spring up;
The more legal affairs are given prominence,
the more numerous bandits and thieves…”

Chapter 20 pg.57 of Tao Te Ching translated by William H. Mair

It is traditionally rude, politically incorrect, and taboo to ask someone their income or how much they make; traditionally it isn’t acceptable to talk about money – yet look at the amount of poverty across the world.

Since the initial writing of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution there have been nothing but a massive influx of amendments and new laws – yet jails are filled to the brim and you can hardly walk down the street without feeling as if you’re doing something wrong (I hardly speak for everyone, so please forgive me!)

With the rise of what I would call the Technology-Information era there is widespread knowledge at our fingertips, yet look at all the strange and peculiar things that are across the web.

The telephone to the cell-phone to the smart-phone – how “clever” the devices yet observe how confused many of us are. The Tao hits very close to home for me and forever it will astound the masses with its’ wisdom that prevails and is more prevalent now than ever…

“Understanding others is knowledge,
Understanding oneself is enlightenment;
Conquering others is power,
Conquering oneself is strength;
Contentment is wealth,
Forceful conduct is willfulness;
Not losing one’s rightful place is to endure,
To die but not be forgotten is longevity.”

Chapter 77 pg. 33 – Tao Te Ching

This is why I was so fond of Nintendo Switch’s recent re-release of The Way  Remastered. Any piece of work or art that makes reference to the Tao – I’m in! Make your Way to my review of The Way Remastered!

Fear – fear is one of the biggest obstacles that hurt you in any field and with any objective. However, fear is also a self-defense mechanism that plays a critical role in human survival. If your survival is not at immediate danger, fear needs to be acknowledged and managed accordingly.

I never thought I would be writing and posting my work publicly – especially as a chronic Youtube viewer and one who loves reading the comment section in just about everything I watch. As much as I enjoy reading public opinion, it is also terrifying as one begins to expose themselves online!

The biggest accomplishment of this blog is overcoming the fear and what-ifs and doing what is true to myself irregardless of what others might say. So congratulations to anyone and everyone who, valuable content or not, have taken the risk to open up and share their thoughts online. With respect to the World Wide Web, this paragraph is designated solely to those whose content is solely negative in nature, of course. Share your thoughts with the world, but don’t be a toxin poisoning other’s minds. The internet is tool, but as most of us are aware, a weapon in the wrong hands. Weapons are bad omens in most cases, in the sense that it is only a matter of time before the designated purpose hurts another in ways that is not self-defense.

Take pride in yourself, but do it humbly and with good intentions and the Universe will have your back! Congratulations to those of you who have the courage to speak up for what is right! There are not enough us!

“If you give a good idea to a mediocre team, they will screw it up. If you give a mediocre idea to a brilliant team, they will either fix it or throw it away and come up with something better.”

Ed Catmull, Creativity, Inc. (2009)

Welcome!

Managing people and being a leader in Corporate America definitely has its rewards; but when you are in a place you don’t want to be and you’re doing something you don’t want to be doing – it is time to make a change.

Much like video games – life is about gaining experience and leveling up! Sometimes, in order to get past a difficult stage you have to do things you have not done before. Staying in your bubble and doing what is comfortable often leads to failure. Doing what is uncomfortable is required to reach potential that has not been tapped into… yet. Progress requires one to dream, believe, have faith, and push past obstacles and barriers that are often difficult. The path that is the most difficult often bears the sweetest rewards!

Join me as I dive into reviewing games that are both good and bad, challenging and easy, and allow me to entertain and grant wisdom in the humblest of ways. Party-up as I step into the unknown and conquer my own fears and insecurities in pursuit of doing something I love: conversation and video games!

“I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there.”

Richard P. Feynman (1985)