As a result, his gymnastic coach believes that Dan cannot compete in the National competition. He is rushed to a hospital, where a metal bar is placed in his leg to maintain its integrity. One day, Dan drives recklessly, and his motorcycle collides with a car that ran a red light, causing his right femur bone to shatter. Joy treats Dan indulgently, though she evidently respects him. Dan attempts to ask her for information regarding Socrates, but receives little. This protégé, a woman of Dan's own age named Joy, has learned and integrated Socrates' philosophy into her life, to the extent that she seems as wise as Socrates himself. Throughout the lesson, Dan learns virtually nothing about his mentor, other than the philosophy, Socrates' belief that service is the most noble action possible (hence his choice to work as a car serviceman), and the presence of another protégé.

Dan gradually learns to appreciate every moment to view the journey toward a goal as more meaningful and significant than the attainment to pay attention to that which he is doing – thus increasing his gymnastic prowess and (to a slightly lesser extent) control himself. These lessons are conveyed through practical lessons, long contemplation, and one spectacular mystical experience. Other ideas include the related notion that at no time is 'nothing going on' and the idea that an appropriate time exists for fighting and another for abstaining from violence. The central concept of 'Soc's' philosophy is this: that one must live entirely in the present moment. Socrates, prodded by the impatient and defiant Dan, gives the boy a series of tasks and lessons. As a result of his exposure to the last, Dan seeks to learn the secret behind it. Dan is unsettled by Socrates' knowledge by the fact that Socrates had appeared in a nightmare as a faceless janitor, clad in mismatched shoes (by which he is identified in waking life), who sweeps up the pieces of Dan's shattered leg and by the old man's extraordinary speed, agility, and coordination. At a car-service station, he encounters an old man who seems to know more about Dan's problem than Dan himself knows, whom Dan later nicknames 'Socrates'. He suffers from restlessness, and on one occasion, Dan attempts to compensate for the restlessness by running along streets before sunrise.

Dan Millman is a university student as well as a locally famous gymnast who dreams of winning a National Championship competition.

El guerrero pacifico movie