Insights
“I keep on making what I can’t do yet in order to learn to be able to do it.” – Vincent van Gogh
“If you want a man to keep his head when the crisis comes you must give him some training before it comes.” – Seneca, Letter XVIII
“The professional endures adversity…He reminds himself it’s better to be in the arena, getting stomped by the bull, than to be up in the stands or out in the parking lot.” – Steven Pressfield, The War of Art
What I Learned This Week
Poems were originally passed down verbally. Homer, believed to have lived between the 9th and 7th centuries BC. Around the 6th century, written texts of the Iliad and Odyssey likely began circulating. Almost four hundred years after Homer’s tales were known to exist, Alexander received a gift from his mentor and teacher, Aristotle of Homer’s epic tales. According to Plutarch, Alexander considered the Iliad to be a handbook for war:
“He always had a copy of Homer’s Iliad, annotated by Aristotle, which he called the casket copy. This he kept under his pillow together with a dagger. When the so-called casket taken from the Persian king Darius was found among the spoils, Alexander thought it suitable to preserve his copy of Homer in it, and so it became known as the casket copy.” – Plutarch, Life of Alexander
While many historical references to the “casket copy” were written hundreds of years after Alexander’s life, it is possible that these are merely legends.
Think like a poet
In Book X of his Latin poem, The Aeneid, Virgil writes “Audaces fortuna iuvat.”
Translated to “Fortune favors the bold,” he reinforces the need for such a timeless call to action. We are meant to take risks and have the courage to pursue their goals, rather than waiting for things to happen. It is wild to think such a phrase finds its way to us through an ancient poet.
The mythic figure, Aeneas, appears in Virgil’s poem as both a refugee from the Battle of Troy and an ancestor to the Romans Romulus and Remus. In the opening books as the city burns, his father, Anchises, initially refuses to leave, wanting to die honorably. The Trojans had failed to anticipate the deception of the Greek soldiers. Now Aeneas must lead as the chaos compounds around him. He insists on carrying his father on his back, leading his son, Ascanius, by the hand. Virgil unknowing highlights the struggle of dads throughout history to lead their families in times of crisis.
Fortune favors the bold.
It took Virgil over 10 years to compose his poem The Aeneid. Over 2,000 years later its lessons still apply. Leadership at home and at work requires space to think. It requires you to anticipate. It requires you to take decisive action. It also requires you to be capable. Do you train hard enough to overcome your next crisis? Strength is not just physical. To be strong as a man, you must have mental, emotional and spiritual strength as well. How else can we get such wisdom from poets from thousands of years in our past.
Audaces fortuna iuvat.
When everything around you seems to be on fire, you must decide on a direction. You must move. But first you must make sure you are ready.
Reflections
How can you improve your ability to anticipate and act? Stop overthinking. Do the work. Prepare and train now.
The Real Con 133