Welcome to the second — and final part — of this off-the-cuff email series where I not only share the six LOTR quotes that gave me a pulse, but more importantly…
WHY THEY DID.
If you didn’t read Part 1 yet, then I suggest you do. If you’re new around here and weren't able to receive it, well…
Unlucky.
On the plus side, you won't miss another one of these emails again.
Anyway, enough dilly-dallying. Let’s pick up where we left off yesterday:
1.. “A day may come when the courage of Men fails… but it is not this day.”
— Aragorn
It’s a fact, dark days will visit us all.
This quote is a reminder that storms arise even in the sunniest, most temperate of climates. Yet it’s during these turbulent times that our resolve will be tested, but this is not the day to cave in.
Persevere, stay strong, and remember…
The storm shall pass.
2. “I gave you the chance of aiding me willingly, but you have elected the way of pain.”
— Saruman
I interpret this quote as not staying true to yourself and instead living for other people’s ideals instead of your own.
This leads to regret, and regret turns into angst, and angst mutates into foul toxins that can destroy anything it touches: your health, your marriage, your relationships, your work… you name it.
I also see this quote as a warning against staying in our comfort zone.
I mean, why walk when you can drive?
Why slave over the stove to pan-sear salmon when you can press a few buttons on Uber Eats?
The problem with always picking the easier options is that it’s usually paved in pain — perhaps not today, but let enough tomorrows pass, and it will come knocking at your door.
A good book I recommend reading on this subject matter is The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter.
3. “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.”
— Galadriel
I’d like to modify this to:
“Even the smallest person can change the course of THEIR future.”
Look, I’m not saying I couldn’t become the second coming of Gandhi. Totally probable. But for the vast majority of us, let’s be honest… that is not what we aspire to do.
Yes, we want to have an impact.
Yes, we want to feel like our lives are being put to good use.
All things that are achievable, BUT…
(You knew it was coming)
The problem is, most people have scraps for self-belief.
Before one can become a Mother Teresa for someone else, one must first become the Mother Teresa for YOU.
You’re free to chalk this up as Watson having one of “his moments” on the woo-woo train, or you can do something with it. Such are the liberties afforded to Legionnaires, while world power hasn’t entirely captured my spirit yet.
Do with these interpretations what you will.
And that wraps up Part 2 of what each quote means to me.
If you found this mildly fun or have your own to add, reply to this email. I only bite when it’s Halloween. Tomorrow, I’ll be sharing a piece of flash fiction that will end up in Tiny Epics: Vol 2 once I’ve collected enough microstories to publish.
Until then, why not read or listen to Volume 1?
Here’s the magic link:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/Tiny-Epics-Vol-1
DJJW