Gandalf

The Wisdom of Tolkien…Again..

“Wise men speak only of what they know”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

We’ve all heard some iteration of this in some form in our travels. My father used to say to me many years ago “When you are up to your nose in poop, done open your mouth”. Of course he was more colorful in his prose. He was a Korean War vet and didn’t have much use for B.S. I guess he had seen enough over there to understand the value of his time.

I digress though….

So have you been in a conversation with someone or a group of people and there is that one person who refers to “they” or uses the term “they say”? These are the types of people Tolkien is talking about here. As an example, if we were to talk about personal finance I could hold my own with just about anyone that’s my area of expertise.

If for example we were talking about Astrology I wouldn’t know the first thing other than some cursory info on the solar system, or a guess at how many stars are out there… you get the drift.

Be mindful in your life who is speaking to what subject. It is true the older you get the more experiences you have and you can speak wisely on many topics. Another example… I can tell you and speak to how to jump start a car. Not because I am an auto mechanic but because I’ve had to do it several times in my life.

Not every wise person comes in the guise of the highly educated. A master’s degree is not required in all subjects to have wisdom in said subject. That said be wary of those who boast, who preface remarks, who use citations that don’t make sense, who refer to things that, in your heart you know just don’t make sense.

Tolkien is telling you wise men (and women) speak only what they know. Who are you getting your information from? Is this person a walking encyclopedia? Chances are they are wise in nothing at all, other than how to create the illusion of wisdom.

Interested in more wisdom from Tolkien? Check out my post here

Gandalf

The Wisdom of Tolkien ….. Again….

“How do you move on? You move on when your heart finally understands that there is no turning back.”
― 
J.R.R. Tolkien

I’ve come back to Tolkien again. Yes, I am a fan of high fantasy, there are so many pearls of wisdom from Tolkien its hard to accumulate them all succinctly.

The quote is powerful, it is an allowance if you will. It’s okay to reflect, and its okay to look back but why are you looking back? Regret? That’s natural. Are you wishing that you could be in that place in the past? That’s natural. Are you refusing to let go and understand there is no turning back? That is natural.

When we think about our past, it is in our interest to consider this proposition: Those who dwell in the past sacrifice the present, in that moment, which compromises the future. Those who forget and dismiss the past, are ordained to repeat it again until they allow its wisdom to take hold.

I know, it’s wordy but how do you move on? Are there things in your life and events that you dwell on? I do, and I can’t exercise them from my mind. I am working on it are you? There is no turning back….

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Gandalf

The Wisdom of J.R.R. Tolkien

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.

“So, do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Time is the most precious commodity on the planet. It does not care about your race, gender, political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation. It moves forward regardless of your personal situation, it is all encompassing. You and I are simply passengers on the journey of time, like a train rolling down the track. No one knows when they will get to their stop.

Do you wait in anticipation for the stop to come or do you take advantage of the journey on the way to the stop?

Gandalf was right, we must decide what to do with the time given us.  

I have made horrible decisions regarding time, I have wasted a lot of it. I have also had moments of absolute joy and reveled in the moment. Despite everything that is thrown at us, every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every week, of every month, of every year, our greatest challenge is to enact Gandalf’s wisdom.

J.R.R. Tolkien was a brilliant writer. In his works you can find so many gems, it boggles the mind. I decided to spend some of my time sharing this with you, have you decided what it is you are going to do with the time given to you?

Thank you for coming by and supporting my blog I really appreciate it. Want to see another post like this one? Click here.

Gandalf

The Wisdom of J.R.R. Tolkien

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.

“So, do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Time is the most precious commodity on the planet. It does not care about your race, gender, political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation. It moves forward regardless of your personal situation, it is all encompassing. You and I are simply passengers on the journey of time, like a train rolling down the track. No one knows when they will get to their stop.

Do you wait in anticipation for the stop to come or do you take advantage of the journey on the way to the stop?

Gandalf was right, we must decide what to do with the time given us.  

I have made horrible decisions regarding time, I have wasted a lot of it. I have also had moments of absolute joy and reveled in the moment. Despite everything that is thrown at us, every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every week, of every month, of every year, our greatest challenge is to enact Gandalf’s wisdom.

J.R.R. Tolkien was a brilliant writer. In his works you can find so many gems, it boggles the mind.

I decided to spend some of my time sharing this with you, have you decided what it is you are going to do with the time given to you?

Hobbit Hole

My thoughts on: “The Rings of Power”

So this post is a deviation from what I normally do on the blog. That said if you have been here a while you have seen several posts quoting J.R.R. Tolkien. I love Tolkien, I’ve read all the books and in the current narrative I would be considered a “Lore Purist”. Simply put, that means any work done in middle earth/Tolkien’s world, I believe should follow what was written by the author, and in the spirit in which he intended it.

Now this post isn’t going to get into the ugliness out there now. As per usual when something comes out and people disagree, the names start. Racist, fascist, on and on you name it you will be called it by the other side. I personally don’t engage in it myself, I know the lore of Tolkien. I read the books, all of them (yes including the unfinished tales, and the Silmarillion) before most of the people on the show and writing for it were born.

There is one important fact that many people engaged in this new battle of the culture war are forgetting. The Amazon series IS NOT a retelling of Tolkien stories, but rather an interpretation of events as they MAY have happened. It’s an extremely important distinction to make. The Rings of Power Amazon series is not, was not promoted to be, and was not intended to be a representation of Tolkien works. It was always going to be an interpretation.

Gandalf
Gandalf doesn’t appear in the 2nd age

I knew that going in, and its why I watched it for a few minutes and realized it wasn’t for me. To frame this for you from a Tolkien purists point of view, this show is ridiculous. Truly the only thing it has in common with J.R.R. Tolkien’s works is, the world its set in, some of the character’s names, and that’s about it. Now here is the other important fact people might not want to admit either. Just because it is not true to the Tolkien lore doesn’t mean it’s going to be a bad show.

I know, it sounds like I am playing both sides of the fence here. Let me elaborate. So if you didn’t read the books, then this show might be entertaining for you. My personal opinion is the casting is horrible but you might not feel that way. The 2nd age of middle earth (the time the show is set in) is very compelling, it has betrayal, intrigue, war, death you name it. It does however span 3500 years and to be perfectly candid its perhaps the one period in the cannon that we have the least detail about. More specifically, it’s the period in the lexicon of ME that Tolkien himself was indecisive on in later years as revealed in his many letters.

The Rings of Power show is a modern interpretation of Tolkien. It’s not my cup of tea personally, I mean I am personally tired of shows depicting every white male is either evil, corrupt or stupid so I am passing. The issue really is there is TO MUCH modern concept in The Rings of Power which takes you away from the thematic world Tolkien created and that’s the biggest failing here. I would encourage you to read the books if you want to really get into Middle Earth, but if you’re looking for some good CGI and interesting battle scenes? This show might be for you.

Thanks for coming by and supporting my blog I really appreciate it. Want to see another post like this one? Click here.

Gandalf

THE WISDOM OF TOLKIEN…. AGAIN….

 “There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit or There and Back Again

I’ve looked for things, I’ve looked for peace of mind and to no avail. I have found Anxiety, Stress and depression. Did I want to find these things? A part of me did, how else can I confront, overcome and reconcile these issues?

I’ve looked for other things, I’ve looked for happiness and have succeeded. I am married for 20+ years with a great family who understands that I have anxiety, they are just not in tune with the depth but that’s okay.

I’ve always been averse to popular notions that -sound- foolish. “look within yourself” or “the answer lies within” I have been foolish not to apply these simple sayings to my historic behaviors. The answer to many of the I’ll of my life have in fact been my reactions to what I perceived others thought. Of course, I couldn’t really know, I have no way of knowing the operation of someone else’s mind.

I’ve looked for it, the answer. The answer to why I am predisposed to consider what others think. Perhaps it is a societal norm? Perhaps a social construct I am bound to in the subconscious? Or perhaps I need to continue looking at myself and find what has been there all along.

I am okay, I am normal, I am too critical of myself, I am an expert in me. It’s not really what I was after, but I will find it. The wisdom of Tolkien once again astounds me.

Thanks for coming by and supporting my blog I really appreciate it. Want to see another post this one? Click here.

Gandalf

The Wisdom of J.R.R. Tolkien

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.

“So, do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Time is the most precious commodity on the planet. It does not care about your race, gender, political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation. It moves forward regardless of your personal situation, it is all encompassing. You and I are simply passengers on the journey of time, like a train rolling down the track. No one knows when they will get to their stop.

Do you wait in anticipation for the stop to come or do you take advantage of the journey on the way to the stop?

Gandalf was right, we must decide what to do with the time given us.  

I have made horrible decisions regarding time, I have wasted a lot of it. I have also had moments of absolute joy and reveled in the moment. Despite everything that is thrown at us, every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every week, of every month, of every year, our greatest challenge is to enact Gandalf’s wisdom.

J.R.R. Tolkien was a brilliant writer. In his works you can find so many gems, it boggles the mind.

I decided to spend some of my time sharing this with you, have you decided what it is you are going to do with the time given to you?

Gandalf

THE WISDOM OF TOLKIEN…. AGAIN….

“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit or There and Back Again

I’ve looked for things, I’ve looked for peace of mind and to no avail. I have found Anxiety, Stress and depression. Did I want to find these things? A part of me did, how else can I confront, overcome and reconcile these issues?

I’ve looked for other things, I’ve looked for happiness and have succeeded. I am married for 20 years with a great family who understands that I have anxiety, they are just not in tune with the depth but that’s okay.

I’ve always been averse to popular notions that -sound- foolish. “look within yourself” or “the answer lies within” I have been foolish not to apply these simple sayings to my historic behaviors. The answer to many of the I’ll of my life have in fact been my reactions to what I perceived others thought. Of course, I couldn’t really know, I have no way of knowing the operation of someone else’s mind.

I’ve looked for it, the answer. The answer to why I am predisposed to consider what others think. Perhaps it is a societal norm? Perhaps a social construct I am bound to in the subconscious? Or perhaps I need to continue looking at myself and find what has been there all along.

I am okay, I am normal, I am to critical of myself, I am an expert in me. It’s not really what I was after, but I will find it. The wisdom of Tolkien once again astounds me.

Thanks for coming by and supporting my blog I really appreciate it. Want to see another post like this one? Click here.

Gandalf

The Wisdom of Tolkien… Again…

Yes, it’s time for another piece of wisdom from J.R.R. Tolkien the creator of the wonderful world of Middle Earth, or as most identify it as “The Lords of the rings”. Tolkien’s frame of reference for his writings are anchored in perhaps the most horrific time in human history. He fought in WWI, then there was the Spanish flu, then the great depression, then WWII. To have all that calamity and still be able to muster grand stories of triumph and hope are a testament to his sprit

To the wisdom…

“The treacherous are ever distrustful.” The Two Towers Gandalf

How does this apply to us now and what can we glean from this quote? First we have to acknowledge “The treacherous”. Treachery is a unique word as it is of course a negative connotation but its meaning, and why it’s so negative is the active pursuit of deception and betrayal. This of course can only be achieved once trust is given. Simply put you can’t be deceived by someone you don’t trust and that’s why it’s so sinister.

So what is he telling us here, its literal of course but it is so hard to enact because we want to believe the people we have given trust to deserved it and are worthy of it. If someone has committed treachery against you, you can’t trust them again.

Extreme? Perhaps but trust is a remarkable gift to give. It leaves you wide open to all sorts of potentially negative (and positive outcomes). For those in our lives who accept this trust and don’t betray it we usually have fantastic and robust relationships with them.

Sadly, we all have stories of someone we trusted that betrayed that trust, however minor. That is treachery and this is the lesson Tolkien is trying to instill. Giving your trust to someone else is a tremendous gift, perhaps the greatest one you can give. If someone betrays it, that gift should not be given to them again.

Trust is your most valuable personal asset.

Never trust again? No that’s not what he is saying here. If you are betrayed, you can never fully trust that person again. It sounds simple doesn’t it? Yet why do we do it? How much forgiveness have you extended in your life? How many times has your trust been betrayed?

Be mindful of whom you give this gift to, many who are treacherous do so for selfish reasons and not intending to harm you at all. That’s what makes the treachery that much more painful, they never thought of you as highly as you thought of them, you never had their trust, but they had and used yours.

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Gandalf

The Wisdom of Tolkien … Again

Yes, it’s that time again! If you frequent this blog you know I drop quotes from Tolkien often. He is IMHO the master of fantasy prose with deep roots into mythology and the psychology of the human spirit. As a veteran of WWI to say his perspective on life was unique would be an understatement. We look at our world today and commiserate about how hard things are, divisive, negative. Imagine a moment living when Tolkien did….

Your late teens early 20’s you fight in a horrific world war; you then have a pandemic (the Spanish flu). Things are quiet for a while, the 20’s then you get to experience the Great depression, oh and to cap it off ANOTHER world war, twice as deadly as the first. Our lives are a cake walk in comparison in my view… So the wisdom?

“Maybe the paths that you each shall tread are already laid before your feet, though you do not see them. Good”
― 
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

Tolkien is telling you here that wherever you are, whatever path you are on its been preselected for you. This is his subtle tip of the hat to fate and how as humans many of us fight it (“though you do not see them.) in vein. Our religious friends call this a “Divine Plan” pagans like me, its fate. Tolkien survived perhaps the most calamitous period of human history (as illustrated above). When you go through events like that, I suppose at some point you have to give yourself over to fate. Horrors like that, no one would actively seek.

You are doing awesome dear reader, one day at a time.

Thank you for coming by and supporting my blog! Please remember to like, subscribe and share. Want to see another post like this one? Click here.