There will be days when you are feeling lethargic and unmotivated, despite the plans you have set yourself for the day. Today was such a day for me and I decided to take a short break - by watching a movie.

And what a movie I chanced upon!

“Peaceful Warrior” is an adaptation of Dan Millman’s semi-autobiographical book “Way of the Peaceful Warrior”, telling the story of a college gymnast, who, despite a horrific injury that shattered his right leg in 17 places, overcame physical, mental and spiritual obstacles to achieve his dreams of sporting glory. From a young life full of the trappings of the fast life, Dan (played by Scott Mechlowicz) encounters a sagely old man that he named Socrates (Nick Nolte), who guides him through a journey to discover and understand the the strength and hope of the human spirit.

What I really liked about this film, other than being a source of inspiration and injecting some energy back into my day, were the many messages it tried to relay throughout the film. Such as the 3 hour journey that Socrates brought Dan on, only to show him an ordinary rock at the end of it, which brought howls of derision from the young man. The wise old sage then pointed out the happiness Dan experienced along the journey and apologised for having wasted his time. It was then that Dan realised that very often, the journeys that one embarks on towards a goal are what brings the most joy and happiness through experience.

Another great moment in the film was when the 2 men were mugged in a back alley. To demonstrate how “the ones hardest to love, are the ones who need it the most”, Socrates slowly gave the muggers everything better that they had - watches, wallets, even their clothes.

Apart from being a truly inspiring film despite some fictional elements, both lead actors also gave extremely convincing performances. Mechlowicz made the young college punk truly detestable for his arrogance, but I found myself cheering him on through his spiritual awakening. Nick Nolte’s was an understated performance, and gave a larger than life presence to the character. While I did not necessarily agree with all the film’s messages, the message of self-awareness is something that everyone can relate to. And certainly, if you can win the battle within yourself, there would be unlimited potential that you can achieve.

So, for a pretty unproductive day, I have written a review and hope some of you out there will check out the movie! Even better, you could share your thoughts of the film by adding a comment here.

In real life, Dan Millman is a world champion athlete, coach, and college professor. He has also authored numerous best-sellers including “Way of The Peace Warrior”, “The Journeys of Socrates”, “The Laws of The Spirit”, “The Life You Were Born to Live” and many more, which have inspired millions of readers in 29 languages. You can find out more about him here.

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