What would a free man do?
In the movie, 300, based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel of the same name, about the Battle of Thermopylae in ancient Greece, King Lionidis faces a grave conflict, and doesn’t know what to do: to obey the laws and customs of his land and risk his country being taken over by foreign invaders, or to stand and fight for his freedom. His beautiful wife, Queen Gorgo, asks him, “What would a free man do?”
If life could only be so simple! Spartans lived by a clear code of Honor. King Lionidis was troubled by the tough decision he had to make, but his decision was far simpler than the little decisions many of us face every day.
Few of us anymore in such an established culture or family, where you adopt the values of your father, your ancestors and society without much question.
Many of us come from broken families, live among different cultures, have explored different religions and philosophies, and naturally question anyone who seeks to make life seem so simple.
As men, we’re naturally attracted to a life of honor, power and freedom. We want to live powerfully as a free men, warriors, standing for something we believe in. Yet, in times of rapid change, it’s not so easy to pick one path and stick to it. It’s not so simple to KNOW with clarity what you’d live and die for.
The growing complexity in today’s world leaves so many of us feeling a lack of real clarity and deep meaning in our lives.
How many of us can fully trust our father’s guidance, especially a father who seems out of touch with changing times? Many of our fathers have lost their freedom, their power and/or their honor in today’s world. We can sense it, and we don’t want to end up like that.
Many men step forward pretending to have “the answers,” or believing they really do.
But who in good conscience can follow them? Are you willing to surrender your freedom, your power and your honor to some authority who is claiming to know what’s best for you? Few men are today.
But when we step out to face the challenges of guiding ourselves without an Authority to follow, we struggle with the fear, shame, doubt and guilt of men who’ve been conditioned to follow and obey.
What do you do when your father, your family or your culture tells you to do one thing, but you’re clear that you can’t trust their guidance? What would a free man do?
This is the stuff of Holloywood movies: Will the hero surrender his freedom, power and authority to a person or group he does not trust, or will he face his fears and take a stand?
Sadly most men choose paths of compromise, giving up their freedom, power and honor for the sake of comfort and approval.
Hollywood didn’t used to make many movies about men who take the easy road in life, and compromise. There’s nothing remarkable or inspiring about such men. It used to be that most people wanted to pay money to watch movies about remarkable heroes, those who dared to face their fears and take a stand, because those movies inspired the audience to face their fears also. Increasingly, however, Hollywood is making movies that pander to those who don’t want to be reminded of their lackluster lives of compromise. For such men, a stimulating distraction which helps them forget their mediocre existence is what they’ll pay for.
And when Hollywood does make films about a heroic man of honor standing in the face of incredible fear and incredible odds, it’s usually an epic from the past, when life and choices seemed simpler. And it’s usually a film about war, when men must choose whether to risk their very lives to stand for something–or not. 300, The Gladiator, The Last Samurai, Braveheart, etc.
But what about the present? How can you live be a code of honor that makes your path CLEAR, even if challenging? How can you know what path to take in every circumstance, and then do it with conviction as King Lionidis did? And how can your life be a passionate stand for your values, even if your life is not being threatened by invading armies? How can you live a passionate life of honor, worthy of a Hollywood script, when so many people around you seem to be living mediocre lives of compromise? Is there even anything worth standing for? What code will you live by?
These are questions for men of our times. At least those who would live as free men. Will you live such a life? If you don’t write the script for your life, others will.
Hollywood screen writers aren’t the only ones who know how to write scripts that evoke a deep sense of passion in the audience, a passion that inspires the audience to rise like the hero. Politicians know how to write these scripts in such a way that their audience will be inspired to send their sons to die for a cause. Religious leaders know how to write these scripts into sermons to inspire their audience to face their fears and take a stand for what’s right. Corporate leaders know how to write scripts that have men giving up their freedom, families and values to stand for the company’s vision. Such leaders can give us a sense of honor, meaning and purpose. And if you don’t have your own script, your own code of honor, your own vision, then you’ll likely become one of the masses of men who can’t trust himself, and surrenders his power, freedom and honor for the ease and comfort of acting out someone else’s script.
Few men fully choose their path in life, or the code of honor that they choose to follow. Few men today have fathers they trust to guide them in this rapidly changing world. Few men today place much trust in many of our political or religious leaders. Yet, these same men suffer without a code of honor to live by.
It’s not enough to question authority, to rebel and think of yourself as free. Freedom is a grand illusion for most men, because they either have no code to live by–or they’re following someone else’s code simply due to convenience or cowardice.
Few men truly live as free men.
Wealth Warrior is not a person. It is not The Way or The Truth.
Wealth Warrior is an idea. It’s an idea of the kind of man who would break free from the old codes of Honor that he does not trust, and dares to choose or create his own code of Honor in the 21st century.
What does this word, Honor, mean? What is it to be a self-determined man–a free man–in the 21st century? How do we write a script for our life that mirrors Hollywood’s heroes, who are willing to risk everything for their honor, for their freedom, for their family–or whatever it is that they cherish most?
These are the kinds of questions and conversations you’ll find here at WealthWarrior.com
