Life Lessonsfrom Beowulf

Life Lessons from “Beowulf” Lesson # 1: Honor the King and Queen Universities and professions will always have a “king” or “queen” – someone who is in charge. They are the souls who have already fought the fight, learned the lessons and climbed the ladder. Learn from them. Use them as mentors. If you find yourself in the kingdom of an unworthy king who does not deserve your service, consider whether or not it is time to journey to a new kingdom. Lesson # 2: Never Underestimate Heritage and Reputation Reputation and heritage are important. Establish a reputation for yourself as one who gives and is worthy of respect. Respect includes being sensitive to heritage. Meet fellow warriors; learn their histories and their unique skills. Remember, it’s important to be an exemplary warrior but you also need to let loose in the mead hall now and again. Lesson # 3: Beware the Grendels We all face our own Grendels. You cannot conquer your Grendel by abandoning the mead hall and living in fear. You have to face your Grendel. Adopt a little of Beowulf’s cockiness and courage and face your Grendel. Lesson # 4: Beware the Grendel’s mother even more Grendel is strong; Grendel’s mother is stronger because she has motherly love and wrath on her side. Remember that each person you deal with is someone’s baby. Treat them as you would want your own family to be treated so that you do not incur the wrath of the loved one. Lesson # 5: Make Ready the Battle Gear You will need different “weapons” for different situations that you face. Good resources, sound strategies, knowledge, self confidence and so on are your weapons. Have them ready at all times. Lesson # 6: Choose Your Battles Pick your battles wisely. Not all dragons should be faced head on, some should be left alone. Fight for what is truly meaningful to you, fight for the things that you can actually change. Lesson # 7: Gather Thirteen Warriors The job and college world can be extremely lonely. You may experience discrimination, unfairness and burn out. Recruit some warriors to join you. Don’t face the fight alone. A strong support system is crucial. Lesson # 8: Be A Good Leader Real leaders are responsible, inspirational people. They take on tasks that others might not and inspire others to work with them. Whether you are leading a group in a college assignment or a group on a task for work; leaders do not work alone, they work with a group. Don’t make Beowulf’s mistake of fighting alone. Lesson # 9: Know When To Quit Face your limitations. Know when to gather your forces and retreat. You are not invincible. Do not push yourself to the breaking point. Know when to take a break. Your mind and body will need to rest. Lesson # 10: Find Your Wiglaf Wiglaf is the only character who stays by Beowulf’s side in the final battle. He is Beowulf’s faithful companion and cheerleader. Everyone needs a Wiglaf. We need someone to fight by our side until the end and cheer us on. We need someone who will share our struggles. Without them, we could not win the battle.