I’m currently reading The Book of Five Rings by Musashi, and even though I’m still in the “Ground” section, I’m already seeing how much of it applies to the craft of anything.
Musashi’s unwavering commitment to the art of swordsmanship is incredible. His teachings make one thing very clear: if you choose to commit to something, it pays—sometimes literally, in his case with his life—to pursue that craft as fully as possible. One could argue that this level of commitment is deeply tied to freedom, which is an essential part of a meaningful life.
We all have natural limitations—our own personal “cap” on what’s possible. For Mugsy Bogues, standing at 5’5”, becoming a successful NBA player meant reaching the absolute upper limit of what was considered possible. For Shaquille O’Neal, at 7’2”, not being regarded as one of the greatest players of all time could be seen as falling short of his potential. These limits aren’t judgments—they’re simply realities shaped by circumstance, body, and environment.
The real question is this: how will we ever know what our true capacity is if we don’t put in the work to find out?
Whether it’s becoming the best manager we can be, the best parent, the best partner, or the best friend—we don’t discover our limits by playing it safe. We discover them by committing fully and seeing how far we can go.
We all have limits.
Some of us just choose to find out where they are.
