Answering your calling and following your dreams may seem like a daunting task. This is the common thread stretching along the third movie in the Lord of the Rings series.
I’ve written down 10 life lessons from the last Lord of the Rings movie to help you answer the call in your heart and follow your dreams.
1. What is your precious?
Gollum had a dream as well – to get the ring back. A burning desire consumed him, and never let his eyes off the prize.
The same should be with your dreams. What is your precious dream? To honor the calling you must first identify it.
2. The importance of a hard day’s work
Nothing can beat a hard day’s work as the saying goes. It rings true in the Lord of the Rings series. Every character had to work hard to stay alive and be helpful to others.
A hard day’s work will do wonders for you. The feeling of satisfaction at the end of the day is like no other. Regret seeps in your mind if you haven’t done anything for your dreams.
3. Strike the iron while it’s hot
There is a time for war, and there is a time for peace we could say. The evil powers that be in the Lord of the Rings series knew that very well. Sauron never acted until at full strength.
You have to strike the iron while it’s hot to not miss the chance given to you. Our intuition knows when we should rest or work our butts off. Trust it.
4. What does your heart tell you?
When Aragorn asked Gandalf whether he felt Frodo was alive or not, Gandalf looked within. The white wizard felt Frodo to be alive.
There will be times when you’ll feel like quitting. That is another moment to look within for guidance. Listening to your heart is not a cliché.
5. Send for help when in dire need
When Gondor came under heavy attack, its steward didn’t accept any outside help out of stubbornness and grief. But the beacons were lit in the end.
Granted, we don’t always need help. Yet, when push comes to shove, we should let go of our stubbornness or sorrow to accept outside help. Our dreams deserve it.
6. Share your burden with the right people
You could say Frodo’s calling was this adventure to destroy the ring of power. It became like a fever. It became a burden as well. But he had help.
The right people in your life are like lifelines. They can share your burden if you let them. Learn to spot the difference between the right people and those who lead you astray.
7. Become who you were born to be
Aragorn tried to run away from his calling to be the king of Gondor. But events unfolded in such a way that he somehow had no choice. He came to terms with himself first.
We rarely fulfill our dreams by being the same person as when we started. We should come to terms with ourselves that our calling is something beneficial to us. It will make us grow as persons to reach it.
8. Go in or go back
Gollum told Frodo to “go in or go back” once they reached the spider’s lair. It’s a great analogy for honoring the path to the fulfillment of our dreams.
Honoring your calling and fulfilling your dreams will have you make that same decision. Do you think you can them that without going all out? Turning back is easy.
9. Your mission is your own and no one else’s
Frodo told Sam the mission to destroy the ring is his own and no one else’s, even though he required help from time to time.
It’s the same in real life. No matter how much help we get from someone else, our calling and dreams are ours to follow. No one will do your work if you don’t do it.
10. The quest will not claim your life, it will awaken it
Frodo knew in his heart the quest would claim his life. But it also awakened it. Most likely his life would have been monotonous within the Shire.
Extrapolate this notion to real life and you’ll see how honoring your calling and following your dreams will awaken you life. It will add magic to it, and help you become who you’re meant to be.
Will you answer the call?
If you liked this article, make sure you check the other two based on the Lord of the Rings series.
P.S. I’ve just noticed the article has 777 words, including the title. I didn’t plan it. A coincidence? Perhaps not.