"You know exactly what you need," he said. 
       I told him that sometimes I thought I knew, but that most of the time I had no self-confindence. 
       "I´m afraid you are confusing issues," he said.  "The self-confidence of the warrior is not the self-confidence of the average man. The average man seeks certainty in the eyes of the onlooker and calls that self-confidence. The warrior seeks impeccability in his own eyes and calls that humbleness. The average man is hooked to his fellow men, while the warrior is hooked only to himself. Perhaps you are chasing rainbows. You´re after the self-confidence of the average man, when you should be after the humbleness of a warrior. The difference between the two is remarkable. Self-confidence entails knowing something for sure; humbleness entails being impeccable in one´s actions and feelings." 
       "I´ve been trying to live in accordance with your suggestions," I said.  "I may not be the best, but I´m the best of myself.  Is that impeccability?"
       "No.  You must do better than that.  You must push yourself beyond your limits, all the time."
       "But that would be insane, don Juan.  No one can do that."
       "There are lots of things that you do now which would have seemed insane to you ten years ago.  Those things themselves did not change, but your idea of yourself changed; what was impossible before is perfectly possible now and perhaps your total success in changing yourself is only a matter of time.  In this affair the only possible course that a warrior has is to act consistently and without reservations.  You know enough of the warrior´s way to act accordingly, but your old habits and routines stand in your way." 
       I understood what he meant.
       "Do you think that wrtiting is one of the old habits I should change?"  I asked.  "Should I destroy my new manuscript?"
       He did not answer.  He stood up and turned to look at the edge of the chaparral.

(Washington Square Press Publ., 1992)