Bushido: The Fight to Save Self

My musings inspired by the animated series Samurai Jack

Every Saturday night at 10 PM, I curl up in bed and fight sleep to catch the weekly airing of the animated series Samurai Jack. I have even gotten everyone in my house engulfed in the show. We watch together, marveling at the minimalist animation and gripping story line. There’s time travel, noble quests, suffering from loss of the familiar…it is fantastic.

In the previous four seasons, we get to know Jack, a warrior thrusted into the future by an evil spirit, Aku during battle. Catapulted in an unknown time, he must navigate the new world, one ruled by Aku. With the help of his magic sword, Jack was able to defeat every opponent Aku sends to kill him.  This season, the audience is thrusted fifty years in the future to find an unaged Jack, still wandering the Earth. He is a dejected, though still capable, warrior. Somewhere along the way, he has lost his magic sword and his purpose. He is suffering from hallucinations and manic outbursts, haunted by his self-disappointment. He has forsaken the Bushido (samurai code of ethics) and shamed his family.

Now, take away the fictional and magical aspects of the story and what do we have?

A broken person, struggling to regain his honor and self-esteem after a traumatic loss or life event

Raise your hand if you can relate. Nobody? I’ll go first.

Hi, I’m ABuggsLyfe and I battle depression and anxiety.

In a series of life events beyond my control, my mental health became compromised at a young age. I managed to keep it together most of my life, focusing on academic achievement and family honor. I was a broken warrior, searching for my purpose while trying to appease others. Throughout my adolescence and young adulthood, I experienced series of what can only be described as nervous breakdowns, many of which took place in private; I continued to perform well in scholastically and socially.  I was good at what I did, yet completely miserable while doing it. I was Jack.

Now the difference between Jack and I is that I have finally come to the realization that the perceived expectations of others is not my duty. My duty is to practice the virtues of Bushido on myself first. Those virtues are:

Though my battle to manage my mental health issues is ongoing, I am currently in a  more emotionally and mentally balanced space. I fight daily to honor and love myself. I do not have a magic sword and that’s okay. Like Jack, I will continue to press forward in my quest to win and get back home to self.

Photo of Bushido principles source:   https://upwardsleader.com/2016/07/06/leadership-principles-from-the-bushido-code/