Some folks consider fiction books a waste of time and liken them to junk food for the brain. This has always confused me because study after study shows that people who read fiction often gain a variety of mental benefits besides partaking in an enjoyable hobby. I can also think of many fictional characters who taught me not just valuable life lessons, but profound lessons about myself. They have provided a plethora of thoughts and traits I cherish and hold dear, points of view I consider novel and pivotal to my world view, and acts of service and fortitude so grand it boggles the mind and challenges me to do better.
I have been marinating on this as a colleague of mine is reading through the Stormlight Archive and rapidly approaching one of my favorite sequences in all of fiction in the book Oathbringer. If you have not read it, this is a fair spoiler for a book that is now over 7 years old, so carry on at your own risk.
There is a lot to learn about leadership in the Stormlight Archive, and from my favorite character Dalinar in-particular. In Oathbringer, Dalinar struggles with the reality of his past in which he did horrible things, although not entirely of his own free will. When this occurs he is at his lowest point, having seemingly failed at his attempt to forge alliances with diplomacy instead of the violence he is known for. In the final chapters of the book, Dalinar (and Sanderson of course…) drop these lines have stayed with me for years afterwards:
The most important step a man can take. It’s not the first one, is it?
It’s the next one. Always the next step.
You cannot have my pain.
Journey before destination. It cannot be a journey if it doesn’t have a beginning.
I will take responsibility for what I have done.
If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man.
Although these words are spread across three pages, their impact is profound and on my first read I literally had to put the book down just to think and unpack. Here is a man who is trying to save the world and has failed. He stands alone facing his fate head on in an impossible situation. He grapples with grief and agony over his previous choices, but in this moment, all he can do is to keep trying and do better. Rise a better man. Take another step. In many ways, the characters and experiences of Dalinar and Théoden from The Lord of the Rings have much in common.
Although most of us aren’t facing insurmountable odds trying to prevent the end of civilization on a daily basis, I do think almost everyone can think of a moment in their lives that mirrors the thoughts and feelings of Dalinar in this moment. And for some of us, many moments.
You tried. You tried hard. And you failed. The darkness is overwhelming. Your very identity is challenged as you grapple with this struggle. You have regrets. You would do things differently if you had a chance, but you’re not sure you do. How could anyone play the hand you have been dealt?
This is a true test of mettle. It is a make or break moment.
Will you endure, despite everything?
You must. There is no other choice.
Own your shit, play your hand, and take one more step. It may hurt. It may not be pretty. There may still be loss along the way. It may not be what you wanted, what you envisioned, or even what you deserve. But this is your pain, your journey, your story, and your responsibility.
And if you fall, rise again a better man and keep moving.
The most important step a man can take is the next one.
Take it.
Cash Flow 