Dan Millman and his books may just transform how you view the world

If you’re not new to the world of new age books, personal development and spirituality, you’ve likely come across the work of Dan Millman, and may have even read his most renowned book, The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. At the very least, you’re probably aware of it.

The Way of the Peaceful Warrior was so successful that Dan Millman has a website dedicated to it and launched a series of events, seminars and other activities surrounding the philosophies behind the book. The man behind this insightful knowledge and understanding that the biggest battles we face are on the inside, is behind a number of other books as well.

BTW, we are including Way of the Peaceful Warrior here as well because we feel it is a must Dan Millman read regardless of what path you’re on. They sent over the audio CD’s as well which we’re listening to in the car daily. It’s a great option if you have issues around time, especially quiet time to read at home.

The Hidden School

The Hidden School is a must read for avid travelers as Dan Millman takes you around the world, where he searches for links between our everyday life and what he refers to as transcendent possibilities.

Dan takes you a fun journey from Honolulu to the Mojave Desert, and from a bustling Asian city to a secluded forest, until he uncovers the mystery of The Hidden School.

This book is about natural life lessons of which nature and tapping into the core of our soul and higher voice is the essence of it.

Some of these lessons are things we already know but may not be living daily. For example, we have a choice to choose what we want and don’t want each and every day but often we succumb to things that don’t bring us joy or follow our best interest.

He writes: “your choices and actions emerge as a natural and inevitable consequence of all the historical, genetic and environmental forces that have shaped you.” He then goes onto quote a sage:

“Every event that has occurred, the birth of every star and every molecule, every life evolving or action taken by anyone who has ever lived, has brought you to this moment.”

He explores life and death, the nature of reality and of course, the self, where ego is part of it, but remember, so is our soul. Yes, we are separate “selves” but we are all part of the same consciousness, so in this regard, we are one after all, which I write about a lot in our Spirituality section and we cover many books and conferences that subscribe to the same.

While death may be ‘real,’ life is eternal nevertheless. He asserts that while we can mourn the death of a physical body, we can also accept that it isn’t the only truth. Dan continues, “as loved ones cast off the husk of separateness, they continue to inhabit you in memory and in every way, have touched you over the course of your time together.” Hear hear.

This book is a brilliant and must read. Find it over on Amazon in paperback, in hard cover and on Kindle.

Way of the Peaceful Warrior

Way of the Peaceful Warrior is the original work of Dan Millman, who brings his perspective into this life transforming book as a world champion athlete. Even if you have read this renowned book before (it’s been out for more than ten years), I’d suggest you re-read it. It had a different meaning in my thirties than it does today – trust me, re-read it.

Guided by a powerful old warrior named Socrates and tempted by an elusive, playful woman named Joy, Dan Millman guides you on a path that leads him towards a life as a peaceful warrior.

We learn what this means in reality and more importantly, how we can implement a peaceful warrior “existence” into our own lives.

It’s an international bestseller that weaves in realms of romance and magic, light and darkness, body, mind, and spirit.

We’ve been listening to it in the car as well (yup, there’s an audio version as well), but I’d suggest getting both so you can take notes in the book – I refer to them often.

Way of the Peaceful Warrior serves as an introduction to the “way,” detailed the other books that Dan Millman has released over the years — consider them another facet of the peaceful warrior’s way. He continues to teach these principles worldwide.

This book will speak to the peaceful warrior inside you – we all have it inside of us. Countless readers have been moved to laughter and tears — and even to moments of illumination — as they rediscover life’s larger meaning and purpose.

What’s interesting is that Anthony is now reading it for the first time. A long time ‘warrior’ in many past lives, he is a well accomplished martial artist in this one. I wrote an article on my ‘distant’ yet ‘close’ connection to Martial Arts, and how this incredible art that is thousands of years old, is integrated with the peaceful warrior and the quiet mind. I wrote this from my perspective of loving and living with a martial artist.

Understanding what it means to live (and BE) a peaceful warrior, is a must for anyone wishing to learn, grow and advance. This must read can be ordered over on Amazon.

The Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior

Four years after training with the old warrior Dan Millman calls Socrates, Dan confronts personal failure and growing frustrations and this book is an extension of this time. During this window, Dan was disillusioned with his life, and unable to bridge the gap between knowing and doing.
This book takes Dan Millman on a journey — a quest if you like — to find a woman shaman, deep in a Hawaiian rain forest.

While I am still relatively new to Shamanism (in this lifetime — apparently I was a famous Shaman healer in countless past lives), I’m fascinated by it. All of it.

While we plan to cover more on Shamanism in both our Spirituality and Spiritual Health sections, it’s worth reading what you can on the subject, perhaps some basics even before diving into this fascinating read.

In worlds of shadow and light, Dan encounters inner tests, mortal challenges, shocking revelations, and unforgettable characters as he ascends the warrior’s path to wisdom and peace.

He refers to the sacred journey we all share as the journey to the Light that shines at the heart of all our lives. Getting closer to light is what it’s all about — it’s at the core of all of my own reflections, inner wisdom, meditation, research and personal exploration of the Spirit World.

We all face challenges and even when we feel we’ve grown substantially on our spiritual path, we’re likely to face setbacks. We’re human after all and the ego has an ugly way of re-appearing again and again.

By returning to our own sacred journey and listening to our higher selves (and inner voice) rather than the ego’s ‘way,’ we will return to the powerful peaceful warrior that Dan Millman so eloquently subscribes to as a soulful way to live. You can find this great read over on Amazon.

The Laws of Spirit

Intrigued by sages and their impact on us? I love that The Laws of Spirit opens with the story of Dan Millman’s encounter with a sage in the wooded hills near his home. He uses stories, tests, and experiences in the wild, to both examine and teach us 12 core principles that underlie human existence: balance, choice, process, presence, compassion, faith, expectation, integrity, action, cycles, surrender, and unity.

Through his writing, Dan Millman shares how these keys — at the heart of every religion, culture, and moral system — can lead to a deeper sense of meaning, connection, and harmony with the world.

These principles if you like, when integrated, are life transformative. I love the chapter/section on Presence and the importance of it in our daily lives.

You will often find that when you’re feeling out of sorts, unhappy about a situation, subscribing to fear rather than trust (unless when faced with a life threatening and troubling situation), or are having an issue in your relationship at home or work, chances are you’re not fully present.

Simply by being present, we will suddenly see a different perspective and view point. Simply by being present, we will direct our questions and reflections inward, where the soul already knows the truth.

Confusion will suddenly dissipate and you’ll find that love will emerge in a way that you didn’t expect. It will show up as compassion, empathy, patience, humility or simply kindness.

He writes:

“Time is a paradox, stretching between a ‘past’ and a ‘future’ that have no reality except in our own minds. The idea of time is a convention of thought and language, a social agreement. Here is the deeper truth: We have only this moment.”

Living this principle along will transform your relationships and bring about a sense of peace that is deeper than anything you have known. Applying all of these principles will change everything in your life, from conversations with your children, boss and loved ones to your finance and health.

There are various quotes throughout to inspire you and bring you to a different reality, including wise souls like C.G. Jung, William Clarke, George Bernard Shaw, Walt Whitman, Francis Bacon, Li Po, Sylvia Robinson, Kahlil Gibran and others.

Dan reminds us in his Trusting in Spirit chapter that “Faith is merely our direct link to universal wisdom.” This universal wisdom my friends is working through us all. Awaken to that possibility and mountains may just start moving. The Laws of Spirit can be found over on Amazon

No Ordinary Moments

In this 15 chapter and nearly 300 page book, you are given a peaceful warrior’s guide to daily life. While it may be one of his older books, the advice and storytelling is as valuable today as it was when the book first launched.

I find this book useful as a guide, meaning that it provides useful tips you can return to later on and access when you have a question about something pertaining to your daily life, such as sexuality, money, work, and health.

Like all of his books, Dan Millman resorts to the peaceful warrior’s way to figure out solutions to the challenges we face every single day.

He guides us to turn our intentions into action, our challenges into strength, and our life experiences into wisdom.

Based on the premise that by changing ourselves we can change the world, No Ordinary Moments guides us how to balance our body, liberate our mind, accept our emotions, and open our heart.

With an open heart, so much is possible, beyond what we can ever imagine. Let’s also remember that when we are emotionally unhealthy, this can often lead to physical health imbalances and even disease.

As humans, he asserts that we either believe that we have moved beyond an issue, which is often denial or we express what we need. The latter is a much healthier place to live — when we can express how we feel and get our feelings out, then we are more able to feel a sense of gratitude by releasing new levels of energy.

He says:

“Denial happens when our Conscious Self tunes out the signals and emotional needs of our Basic Self, resulting in numerous symptoms of discomfort. It originates in childhood as a conscious practice to avoid blame, responsibility or punishment.”

Later, however, this pattern can become toxic in our life. I choose this excerpt from the book as a way to depict just how important our emotional health is and re-owning our body (he focuses on this in Chapter 7, where the entire section is dedicated to Balancing the Body). When we betray our body, decay doesn’t just happen physically but it begins to eat away at our Soul. Our Soul needs to be happy and living outs its purpose if we are to live a serene and joyful life.

You can find this fun and inspirational read over on Amazon.

Children’s Books

We love that Dan Millman has produced a couple of children’s books as well. The Secret of the Peaceful Warrior and Quest For the Crystal Castle make wonderful children’s gifts for kids aged 4-12.

Dan Millman and His World

Dan’s seventeen books, including Way of the Peaceful Warrior, have inspired and informed millions of readers in 29 languages worldwide. The feature film, “Peaceful Warrior,” starring Nick Nolte, was adapted from Dan’s first book, based upon incidents from his life.

Dan’s keynotes, seminars, and workshops attract leaders in the fields of health, psychology, education, business, politics, sports, entertainment, and the arts. Head on over to his website to learn more about Dan Millman and his world.