A story in the making

“You don't just have a story - you're a story in the making, and you never know what the next chapter's going to be. That's what makes it exciting.” – Dan Millman

  

Millman, born on this date in 1946, is a former gymnastics champion and coach, world-class martial arts specialist, and author – since 2006 – of nearly 20 books published in 29 languages.   His first book, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, was adapted into the film Peaceful Warrior, starring Nick Nolte.

Part fiction and part autobiography, the book tells of a chance meeting Millman had with a service station attendant who becomes a spiritual teacher to him as a young gymnast. The attendant, whom Millman names Socrates, becomes a kind of father figure and teaches Millman how to become a "peaceful warrior” en route to winning a gymnastics championship.

Also a renowned and much sought after lecturer on personal development, Millman said he never really intended to be a writer, but did start thinking about it after college.  “I kind of got more interested in writing after I turned in my last college essay and nobody was going to tell me what kind of academic papers to write anymore,” he said.                        

  He said when he realized he could write whatever he wanted, whenever and about whatever topic he chose, he liked it.  As for his choices, “I learned that we can do anything, but we can't do everything... at least not at the same time. So think of your priorities not in terms of what activities you do, but when you do them. Timing is everything.”

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