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An excerpt from a book I am writing with my Grandmaster, Mike Leone. The concept of “The Gray Wolf” is baked into almost everything I do. Making money with business - mastering the world of form - is part of the journey. Contributing to others is part of the journey. Understand the Gray Wolf and you will understand my whole ecosystem.
I am using this substack to share my journey and the rough draft(s) of the forthcoming book. They are broken up into:
First draft, written from conversations with Mike following the Master Key framework
My immediate commentary about the topic/subject as it relates to today
Audio and Video of Grandmaster Mike
Enjoy
Nic
Chapter 0: Introduction
“To live is to learn; to give is to earn”
The Master Key Of Wisdom
First…
"To live is to learn. To give is to earn."
I remember feeling the temperature drop. The Arizona weather was much warmer than I had expected but still...
I don't remember ever feeling such a precipitous drop in temperature.
I was walking through a canyon at the base of Gray Wolf Mountain with Mike Leoni as the sun began to set. It was here that I was first introduced to The Dao and the book "The Master Key To Wisdom".
"The Master Key" as we colloquially refer to it, sits on my desk at all times. From the Amazon description:
"This book is based on a true story about Grandmaster "Iron" Kim's memories of his master, Grandmaster Borion, and centuries of learning. The author takes you along the journey of Grandmaster "Iron" Kim, who began his learning as a young boy in an Am-ja (a secluded place in the mountains of East Asia). At this young age, Grandmaster Borion taught him to follow the Chung Doe (Correct way) and fully understand the basic three steps of eight steps to reach enlightenment"
The little boy in the book was Mike's Grandmaster.
...and Mike is mine.
Unlike the kid in the book, I got a late start on this whole "self-mastery" thing.
But... I will be the kid in the next book. I know this because I am co-authoring the book. It's called "The Gray Wolf" and you're reading it right now. It's an updated, contemporary, and hopefully equally powerful iteration of the Master Key.
From experience, I can tell you this:
Nothing can compare to standing at the base of the mountain - and then climbing it - with Mike and Jason.
For now, this text will have to do.
Facilitating a transformation via text is difficult. It’s important to understand a few things:
Knowing about a thing is not the same as becoming it. You must do the work, engage the field, and repeat. It's better to become a thing without knowing what than it is to know about a thing without becoming it.
Exponential and Transformation are emergent properties. You won't find transformation, enlightenment, or exponential growth by looking for it. From afar, they appear to be created "out of thin air”. Alchemy is a byproduct of harmony.
In other words, this isn't about working harder or searching longer. It's about creating harmony between the components of a system to get another property to emerge.
You are at the center of that system.
The Gray Wolf is the foundation of understanding this process.
This book and the resources available to you will give you a framework to master the system. Harmonizing the parts will take practice, support, and community. But nobody else can do the work for you.
I look forward to sharing part of the journey with you.
And so we begin…
The Gray Wolf
Centuries ago, the tallest, most sought after mountain in a range of ten thousand mountains was named Lion Mountain, after the lions who would take whatever they wanted and that no creature dared stand up to.
The base of Lion Mountain was a canyon filled with springs, streams, and rivers. The vegetation and small game were thriving. This abundant environment made it an ideal home for a pack of white wolves for many years.
The plentiful, soft, and nurturing environment provided little stress to the pack. The white wolves were able to raise kind, gentle, and peaceful wolf pups. The wolf pups would grow to learn what all white wolves grow to learn: never stray from the canyon.
Centuries ago there was a mountain that no creature dared approach: Lion Mountain.
It was the tallest, most sought-after in a range of ten thousand mountains.
The lions of Lion Mountain were aggressive. And they were strong. They would take whatever they wanted and bring it back to the top of the mountain.
The base of Lion Mountain was a canyon filled with springs, streams, and rivers. The vegetation was growing freely and small game was thriving. The abundance provided made it an ideal home for a pack of white wolves. The wolves were comfortable for many years.
The plentiful, soft, and nurturing environment provided little stress to the pack. They were able to raise kind, gentle, and peaceful wolf pups. The pups would grow to learn what all white wolves grow to learn: never stray from the canyon. It's far too dangerous.
One warm spring day a new litter of wolf pups was born. But this particular spring litter was different. Most of the new pups were spitting images of the other wolves, except for one. This pup was black. He was bigger, stronger, and more aggressive than the others. As the pups grew it became clear that his difference extended beyond his looks.
The black wolf would behave in a manner the elder wolves did not approve of. He was not always gentle. He was not always “nice”. He was dominant and often over-aggressive. He would fight for and take the food that the others had gathered. If still unsatiated, he would wander up the mountain for larger game. He feared no wolf in the pack, did his own thing, and had little regard for how others felts about it.
One day the tension boiled over. The elder white wolves gathered to discuss the fate of the black wolf. They made a swift decision. There was no room in the pack for this strength, aggression, and disregard for feelings.
The black wolf was to be banished.
The elders, supported by the rest of the pack, gathered around the black wolf. They addressed him as a pack, knowing he would not try to overpower them all. The eldest of the white wolves made the decree:
...the black wolf is to be banished from the pack. Any white wolf that does not honor the decree will be banished as well.
Fearing the potential of isolation, the white wolves agreed to stay away.
The black wolf wandered up the mountainside where he would live alone. Even though he was banished, the black wolf would stay close enough to the canyon to hear and see the rest of the pack. The sight of his family in the distance made him feel less alone. The sound of them going about their daily lives alleviated some of the pain of isolation.
Even outside of the safety and convenience of the canyon, he found it easy to sustain himself. He would take down large game once a week. Hunger would never find him. He'd spend his free time watching over the white wolves as they toiled and grazed berries.
This continued as the years passed and the winters grew colder.
The clouds started to hang heavier on the mountaintops. The vegetation became dormant and the game descended into the mountains for shelter. The abundant white wolf canyon was still thriving so the wolves weren't concerned. Near the top of the mountain, food was scarce. The lions were getting hungrier. This was the first year the lions would descend the mountain our of necessity, in search of food.
Fortunately for the Lions, they are masters of the hunt. Ruthless and efficient, they waste little energy and rarely get injured. It didn't take long for the Lions to stumble upon the peaceful pack of white wolves. Uncertain of the wolves' ability to defend themselves, they circled the pack for days. What did they find?
A pack of wolves, raised to be nice, without the ability to defend themselves or their pack. Easy prey, rich with meat organs and bone marrow.
So the hunt began.
The lions attacked the unsuspecting pack with great speed and power. The elder white wolf, Karen, responded to the lions with offerings of peace. When peace offerings didn't work he followed up with outrage and disbelief. The screams of the elder were not met with verbal argument but with sharp claws and a powerful bite. The sounds of the hunt soon found the ears of the black wolf. He was shocked at the sight of his beloved pack being beaten, abused, and consumed by lions.
His eyes filled with rage.
He pulled his lips back to reveal his massive canines. Without considering his own fate he pounced down the mountain to protect his pack. The black wolf fought with fearlessness, strength, and unmatched aggression, vanquishing the lions. When the last Lion was scared off for good, he returned to sit in the solitude of his banishment.
The remaining white wolves, in utter disbelief, howled in grief. They were kind, gentle and peaceful. They were confused. As young pups, they learned to believe that they had a right - and entitlement - to be safe from such a fate. Among that chatter, the lone elder spoke up:
“Yes, we are kind, gentle, and peaceful. This is the right way to be when the times are good. But times are not always good. When bad times come we must be capable of defending ourselves and others."
After some discussion, the white wolves realized that they had made a mistake. The qualities they need to survive hard times are the qualities of the black wolf. They are not to be feared or cast out but instead to be understood and embraced.
The white wolves agreed that they should attend to the wounds their brother sustained from the great fight and invite him back. Grateful for the care and receptivity of the white wolves, he agreed to return.
Once reunited, the pack began working together to understand their differences. They learned to embrace them and use that knowledge to create a more sustainable way of life. The pack learned how to integrate the strength and aggression of the black wolf with the kindness of the white wolf.
The next spring was soon upon them and another large pack of wolf pups were born. For the first time, there were no black pups or white pups. Each pup was Gray. These gray wolf pups were unique. They embodied the power and ferocity of the black wolf as well as the gentleness of the white wolf. When times are good and abundant the gray wolf is benevolent and peaceful. When the lions come down from the mountain, he is fearless, ready to fight to protect his pack.
The Gray Wolf is strong, yet chooses to be kind.
The Gray Wolf stands with one foot in chaos and one foot in order.
The Gray Wolf understands and respects both the masculine and the feminine.
A Gray Wolf pack is the strongest force in the land.
And it’s why the most glorious mountain of the ten thousand mountain range is no longer Lion Mountain.
It’s Gray Wolf Mountain.
The journey to Gray Wolf Mountain is the journey of self-mastery; of becoming a Gray Wolf.
What follows are the steps to becoming....
Gray Wolf.
Commentary:
10,000 mountain range represents ongoing/never-ending adversity. When you make it to the top of one mountain, you realize there are ten thousand more. The work never ends. Which is awesome, because that means the journey never ends.
This chapter is about abundance. More specifically, how dangerous it can be.
Good times make weak people, weak people make bad times, bad times make strong people, and strong people make good times.
Notice how the black wolf knew, intuitively, that there was more to life than staying in the “safe zone”. He would often test the boundaries and testing the boundaries threatened others.
The threatened white wolves leveraged the fear of exclusion by banning him. Isolation is very harsh for a human. This is "cancel culture." Ganging up on someone to isolate them for being different. In most cases, for being strong or strong-willed.
The lion represents adversity.
Gray Wolf Mountain has a bunkhouse. There is a lion mounted on the fireplace in the bunkhouse. It's a reminder of the importance of staying strong and embracing the strength of others.
Ultimately, the idea is not to sit in isolation and be “enlightened”.
It’s to learn how to thrive the chaos that is life. Building a business, and raising kids, while maintaining the strength and awareness to thrive.
Every 60 years…
The cycle: Good times make weak people, weak people make bad times, bad times make strong people, strong people make good times.
It takes three generations to see/experience the full cycle. A generation is 20 years. This leads to me to believe that while it’s possible to know about this stuff, you can’t experience it - truly know it - unless you’ve been around the sun 60+ times. Anyone over 60 probably has more wisdom than you give them credit for1. She may not be able to turn on her iPad, but Grandma might be a better resource than you realize.
Becoming a Gray Wolf is not living in the land of the esoteric and formlessness. It's mastering the world of form.
Here’s to the journey.
Listen.
Resources.
Audio - Nic Peterson (Spotify)
Video (YouTube)
Click here to go to chapter one.
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