All That Is Gold, Does Not Glitter

One of my favorite stories of my youth was The Lord of the Ring trilogy by  J.Rs.R. Tolkien.  I loved the fantasy of it and yes I was a total geek about it throughout my life.  I had the occasion to read the poem All that is Gold did Not Glitter the other day, and I wondered why I liked it so much. It is the description of Aragorn and I feel it describes the way many of us think about our own journey. There is a hero inside of us, nobody can see, just waiting for the right moment to rise.  This article attempts to explain my attachment to this poem and the connections I make to my life.

 Here is the Poem in its entirety:

“All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

 From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king”

Below is my breakdown of the connection I see between this poem and life.

All that is gold does not glitter.

How many people have you met in your life where this is true?  I can think of many gold people, right off the top of my head. Individuals who lived their lives honestly and helping other people every time they had the chance.  Many helped me, and as a younger person, I was oblivious to the real gold that was located in their soul and was passed on to me. All of my grandparents were this way, and now they are

all gone, the lessons, the kindness, and the value of them has not diminished. It has grown. Their touch on my life and the lives of those that knew them was more valuable than gold.

As an older and hopefully wiser man, I try to remember and emulate those great individuals who have made living my life on the Earth a much more enjoyable experience. I only hope someday to be even a small influence of those lives I touch in a good way.  Those that glitter, or look for attention are not really out to help anyone but themselves. Look for the people who do good for good’s sake, not their own.

Not all those who wander are lost.

It is common to relate your own position in life to the position of others.  Most do it to gauge how they are doing in this game called life, others do it for comparison so that they can feel better about themselves and their decisions. It doesn’t matter where you are or even where you are going but the manner in which you are getting there. Honesty, courage, caring, understanding, acceptance, and love should all be a part of the journey. To ignore these things would be a lost journey indeed.  Judging someone else based on the outward appearance, or your own preconceived bias is wrong.

I think that understanding our own journey is totally unique to us and will bring you all of the joy, happiness, thrills, and valuable lessons that you can learn from and become better from.  Worry about your own wandering and accept that you can help others from time to time as well. Let others wonder on their journey, lost or not our journey is our own.

The old that is strong, does not wither.

Some certain truths and ideas may be old, but their value never diminishes. The power of love is one of these.  Attributes like honesty, faithfulness, fairness; integrity is all examples of positive qualities that show strength and never go out of style or wither away. We often look at the aging process as something to be avoided or a bad thing. It isn’t it is just a part of the journey. We are all born, we live and at some point we will die.  That is the way of it. As you get older and hopefully wiser, you gain a strength of character a younger man can’t have. Because you have faced the challenges life throws your way and you are still here.  You have won.

The more we steer our life’s course toward these positive factors, the stronger your experience will be.  Look at the people that you have known who you really admire.  What adjectives would you use to describe them? Our character is defined by the choices we have made. Right or wrong at the time does not matter now, all taught a lesson and it is how you use that knowledge that matters today.

Deep Roots are Not Reached By The Frost

I think that holding your values dear to you and sticking by them steadfastly, is what this line means.  The unavoidable changes in the world, like the weather, and what behavior is popular, is not going to affect a person who is really good.

The outside may be affected by the wear and tear of life, but the inside or the deep roots will never be touched by such temporary influences.

From the ashes, a fire shall be woken.

Everybody in the history of the world has had to face difficult times, it is a part of being human.  If you have never seen your life reduced to ashes, literally or proverbially then either you are very lucky, or you better have the number to your local fire department handy.

This is not to scare anybody, but to state, most people have been down.  That is not the part of the story that enthralls others, it is the rising from the ashes.  The rebirth of your life, that is better than you could ever imagine it could be.  The ability to rise from the destruction of everything you know, move forward and still thrive is the greatest of human stories.

A light from the shadow will spring.

It is at these moments when a person has been counted out, that they are primed for the greatest of victories. That light can be an idea, an act, or an event, but the greatest of these come from the places that are least expected.

Some of the greatest discoveries came from unexpected sources totally from left field.  Not because that what the only place they could come from, but because that is where destiny deemed they should come from.

 

Renewed Shall be the Sword that Was Broken

The sword can represent any part of your life that was shattered by the events you experienced in your time.  The renewal can be inside, outside, and most probably both.  A person can come back, love again and triumph again and enjoy all of the fruits of life that were once at their convenience.

The Crownless Again Shall Be King

All people, in all walks of life, have great ability inside them.  Even if they are not labeled as such, they are kings of what they possess.  Whatever talents they were born with, leadership, music, science, mathematics, or athletic prowess, these are the keys to your kingdom.  Please open your eyes and see what talent you have and pursue it.

The crown you wear will come from knowing that what you have been given by providence has been explored and exploited to its deepest and most complete capability.

All People Have Value

The key to happiness in these times for all people is to accept people for what they are, and what they possess inside.  Much like Strider in the Lord of the Rings, great power can be hidden by appearance, and underneath the surface, there may be a warrior, a poet, a scientist, or even a king simply waiting for the right time to show themselves.

My advice is to avoid judging someone from their appearances and looks deeper into what characteristics and the values they live by.  All people show you who they truly are through the values they represent day to day.

Come as you are, see the greatness within.