Inspiration for troubled times
Inspiration for troubled times
The poem, “Ulysses” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, is such a one and has inspired many. It can be relied on to provide words of good cheer when there is a general lack of harmony or balance in life. The words of the poem are a paean of praise to the indomitable human spirit; of the beauty of love for one’s fellow beings and the knowledge that Man can always aspire to, and achieve, greater and grander things. They remind us we are all free to seek for and arrive at that moment in life when peace, harmony and contentment fill our hearts. That we are better than we could ever imagine.
Now, for sure not everyone likes or appreciates poetry but poets often get it right, as in this case. The poem’s last six lines are the important ones:
“.....; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
“... but strong in will to seek, to strive, to find, and not to yield.” – powerful words.
In the context of the poem, Ulysses (as the Romans called him, his real Greek name was Odysseus, was immortalised in Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey”, the chronicles of the siege of Troy and his epic journey home to his long suffering but faithful wife after a twenty year absence) – is now an old man. But he is still fired by the thought of greater things to do and greater feats of endurance. He is still seeking something, but unsure what.
Ulysses (Odysseus) was not only a brave and fearless fighter, but also a brilliant tactician – it was he who devised the famous Trojan Horse that was used by the Greeks to finally overcome the defenders of Troy and break the siege, some thirty one centuries ago.
The words of the poem attempt to portray the thoughts and emotions of a man who had achieved more, seen more and experienced more in his lifetime than almost anyone in recorded history; someone who still sought more. He was seeking, as we are all ultimately seeking – peace of mind. This is the most difficult goal of all because it means that we have to really know and understand ourselves. No one likes to delve too deeply into their memory bank – this can be very confronting. We all have memories that we would rather never saw the light of day; that we would prefer to be kept hidden, even from ourselves. But true peace of mind will never be achieved unless we do acknowledge and accept them for what they are – our own memories and thoughts. They have made us what we are, here, now. Seeking self knowledge and understanding, and peace of mind is appropriate today.
Ulysses may have been renowned for his guile – he was well known as a trickster, but he was a highly intelligent, courageous, tough and an amazingly tenacious man. He was also selfless and always concerned about the welfare of the men he commanded. He held by his principles. He understood the importance of virtue. He had values which he would not transgress. His dealings with his fellow men were morally correct. He was ethical and true to his nature. Ulysses was what he was, and lived by that knowledge. He was certainly aware of the necessity to consider the greater good.
We are living in testing times and it may be comforting to know that others, such as Ulysses, have experienced greater trials and tribulations than most could possibly imagine and have climbed to heights of self awareness and fulfilment previously undreamed of and come through as stronger and better human beings. Most importantly they slept well at night!
We entrepreneurs and business leaders need to understand that peace of mind and having harmony in our lives; being true to our natures; finding our values; being morally correct and ethical in our relationships is not necessarily something that occurs overnight. It may have taken us twenty or thirty years to get to where we are now, troubled and asking questions about our life’s course. For this there is not going to be a quick fix solution. It will take a while. But there comes a time when it is necessary to stop, even take a step back, to reflect and ask ourselves the hard questions:-
What am I really seeking in life?
What am I really striving for?
What do I hope to find?
Have I the tenacity, the persistence and the wherewithal to hold firm to my dreams and not to give up – never to yield?
Answering those questions will lead to others, typically:-
What am I actually doing?
Does it satisfy me?
Am I happy and contented?
If the circumstances were different what would I LIKE to do?
What do I do to relax, to unwind - does this help?
Will what I am doing now fulfill the dream I had as a child or young adult?
Can I see myself doing what I am doing now in twenty or thirty year’s time?
Honest answers to these questions will give greater insight into your current situation. That is important – but the really the vital question, if you are not happy, is where to from here? Within us all are untapped strengths, unimagined courage and grand visions of what we would rather choose to be. Dream of that and ask, “Why not?” Always Seek and Strive to Find, but never Yield! Your peace of mind and happiness depends on it.
Inspiration for troubled times - To learn more about this author, visit Andrew Campbell-Watt's Website.
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In troubled times we all need some inspiration to lift us out of the hole we may find ourselves in and give us hope for the future. Words of inspiration shine a light in the dark corners of our mind and dissipate the fearsome shapes and shadows our imaginings have created.
The poem, “Ulysses” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, is such a one and has inspired many. It can be relied on to provide words of good cheer when there is a general lack of harmony or balance in life. The words of the poem are a paean of praise to the indomitable human spirit; of the beauty of love for one’s fellow beings and the knowledge that Man can always aspire to, and achieve, greater and grander things. They remind us we are all free to seek for and arrive at that moment in life when peace, harmony and contentment fill our hearts. That we are better than we could ever imagine.
Now, for sure not everyone likes or appreciates poetry but poets often get it right, as in this case. The poem’s last six lines are the important ones:
“.....; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven; that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
“... but strong in will to seek, to strive, to find, and not to yield.” – powerful words.
In the context of the poem, Ulysses (as the Romans called him, his real Greek name was Odysseus, was immortalised in Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey”, the chronicles of the siege of Troy and his epic journey home to his long suffering but faithful wife after a twenty year absence) – is now an old man. But he is still fired by the thought of greater things to do and greater feats of endurance. He is still seeking something, but unsure what.
Ulysses (Odysseus) was not only a brave and fearless fighter, but also a brilliant tactician – it was he who devised the famous Trojan Horse that was used by the Greeks to finally overcome the defenders of Troy and break the siege, some thirty one centuries ago.
The words of the poem attempt to portray the thoughts and emotions of a man who had achieved more, seen more and experienced more in his lifetime than almost anyone in recorded history; someone who still sought more. He was seeking, as we are all ultimately seeking – peace of mind. This is the most difficult goal of all because it means that we have to really know and understand ourselves. No one likes to delve too deeply into their memory bank – this can be very confronting. We all have memories that we would rather never saw the light of day; that we would prefer to be kept hidden, even from ourselves. But true peace of mind will never be achieved unless we do acknowledge and accept them for what they are – our own memories and thoughts. They have made us what we are, here, now. Seeking self knowledge and understanding, and peace of mind is appropriate today.
Ulysses may have been renowned for his guile – he was well known as a trickster, but he was a highly intelligent, courageous, tough and an amazingly tenacious man. He was also selfless and always concerned about the welfare of the men he commanded. He held by his principles. He understood the importance of virtue. He had values which he would not transgress. His dealings with his fellow men were morally correct. He was ethical and true to his nature. Ulysses was what he was, and lived by that knowledge. He was certainly aware of the necessity to consider the greater good.
We are living in testing times and it may be comforting to know that others, such as Ulysses, have experienced greater trials and tribulations than most could possibly imagine and have climbed to heights of self awareness and fulfilment previously undreamed of and come through as stronger and better human beings. Most importantly they slept well at night!
We entrepreneurs and business leaders need to understand that peace of mind and having harmony in our lives; being true to our natures; finding our values; being morally correct and ethical in our relationships is not necessarily something that occurs overnight. It may have taken us twenty or thirty years to get to where we are now, troubled and asking questions about our life’s course. For this there is not going to be a quick fix solution. It will take a while. But there comes a time when it is necessary to stop, even take a step back, to reflect and ask ourselves the hard questions:-
What am I really seeking in life?
What am I really striving for?
What do I hope to find?
Have I the tenacity, the persistence and the wherewithal to hold firm to my dreams and not to give up – never to yield?
Answering those questions will lead to others, typically:-
What am I actually doing?
Does it satisfy me?
Am I happy and contented?
If the circumstances were different what would I LIKE to do?
What do I do to relax, to unwind - does this help?
Will what I am doing now fulfill the dream I had as a child or young adult?
Can I see myself doing what I am doing now in twenty or thirty year’s time?
Honest answers to these questions will give greater insight into your current situation. That is important – but the really the vital question, if you are not happy, is where to from here? Within us all are untapped strengths, unimagined courage and grand visions of what we would rather choose to be. Dream of that and ask, “Why not?” Always Seek and Strive to Find, but never Yield! Your peace of mind and happiness depends on it.
Inspiration for troubled times - To learn more about this author, visit Andrew Campbell-Watt's Website.
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Ethics and Life - Written by Andrew Campbell-Watt. I have a B.Comm,a Post Graduate diploma in Business and I am a qualified Life Coach.With some 45 years of business and life experiences I have much to offer anyone who needs guidance or advice in Ethics, Life Coaching and/or Stress Management
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