“Calm and careful, make it count.” — Robin Hood (Russel Crowe)
I watched the movie Robin Hood last week. There’s nothing like watching the birth of a legendary archer to get me reflecting on my old archery skills. Robin Hood and his band of merry men always entertain me.
When I was a kid I thought it was actually “Robbing” Hood because he was known for robbing from the rich and giving to the poor. There’s more to the story though than just a bandit with a big heart. It’s a story of adventure, daring, and courage. It’s the story of a highly skilled archer who rises from commoner to hero. In the movie, as the story goes, Robin Longstride (Robin Hood) promises a dying knight that he’ll return his sword to his father, Walter in Nottingham. When Robin returns the sword, Walter convinces him to impersonate his dead son, to protect their land from confiscation. Robin ends up quite the rebel rouser and proves himself a highly capable leader, even beyond his band of merry men, when he inspires everybody to fight for their home and land and protect from the French invasion.
Here are my three take aways:
- Never give up. On the hilt of a sword are the following words: “Rise, and rise again. Until lambs become lions.” Simply put, when you get knocked down, get up again. And again. You’ll grow stronger in the process.
- You can change your lot in life. You can rise above your station. Just because you aren’t born to land or position, doesn’t mean you can’t become the person who can have those. You don’t have to be a natural born leader — you can become one.
- Shared values bring people together. Whether it’s a common threat or a common goal, it creates a common bond. In this case, there was a common threat, both the invasion and the evil doers leading up to it. Robin had “right” on his side, and he created a common goal around defending their land.
If I were to add another take away, I would say it pays to be skilled. Shooting arrows with precision through obstacles and over a distance, makes for some memorable movie scenes.
Photo by Will Hale.
Great Lessons Learned from John Maxwell