Yogananda in the Octagon: Throw ONE More Punch (Heroic +1 #1646)

Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another heroic plus one. In our last plus one, we talked about magic moments in my trip to UFC Austin with Ed Soros and Epictetus. Today, I want to continue our discussion of wisdom gained from sitting just outside the Octagon, watching these men and women courageously enter the literal arena to show us what excellence in action looks like. Again, there were so many highlights we could discuss. Note, I have goosebumps yet again as I type this. One of the most inspiring moments of the night came when one of the fighters Ed Soros manages was getting hammered in his very first fight in the ufc. It was, quite frankly, very difficult to watch. Yet somehow this warrior refused to give up, and somehow he survived that onslaught. Then somehow, he turned it around and won with a decisive knockout. I got tears in my eyes typing that as it was such a visceral experience of a willingness to continue to act in the presence of fear that will be indelibly stamped on my consciousness forever. His fight was the fight of the night. Literally. Now, lest you think such things aren't spiritual enough for you, how about we invite Yogananda to the party? Yogananda was, as we've discussed, Steve Jobs's favorite spiritual teacher. He told us, and I quote him, A and B were fighting. After a long time, A said to himself, I cannot go on any longer. But B thought, just one more punch, and he gave it, and down went A. Then Yogananda tells us, you must be like that. Give a last punch. Use the unconquerable power of will to overcome all difficulties in life. That's today's plus one. Getting knocked around. Perfect. Hang in there. Throw one more punch.