Many samurai sayings invite you to sharpen your senses and make the most of them.
“Observation and perception are two separate things; the eye that observes is stronger, the eye that perceives is weaker.”
This quote emphasizes one of the focal points of eastern thought – don’t focus on yourself.
Another saying is, “Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.” In other words, don’t spend too much time on thoughts about yourself. Instead, use that energy to think about the reality you live in.
Combat is also a common theme in samurai sayings.
“Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men.”
This means that each time you defeat some weakness or fault in yourself, you are prepared to defeat others who have these same defects.
Text taken from: "Expanding your Mind"