As an 8 year old McRaven was in New York City with his dad. During their trip McRaven continually looked to the sky hoping to see Superman. His dad asked him if what he was looking for and McRaven finally admitted that he wanted to see Superman. His dad pointed out a police officer and stated that was a hero.
McRaven notes “If you can have an epiphany at eight years old, well then, this was mine. If Superman wasn’t real, then who was going to save the world? If Superman or Batman or Spider-Man weren’t coming, then how would we stop the criminals, the Nazis, the Soviets, the aliens from outer space, and all the violence and destruction? The answer was clear. It was up to us.”
McRaven became a navy seal and spent 37 years in the Navy. He states: “ I came to realize that there is a hero in all of us. There is an innate code that has been there since the birth of mankind. It is written in our DNA.” He notes that each of us can work on developing our character so that we can develop the attributes that heroes have.
The book is a series of short stories that highlight each attribute in the hero code. This is a quick read and can be finished in day. The goal of the book is to encourage each of us to be better than we are today.
Some of the attributes that make up the hero code are courage, integrity, compassion, hope, and forgiveness. Here is one line of the hero code: “I will learn to SACRIFICE by giving a little of my time, my talent, and my treasure to those in need.”
Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Great literature should do more than entertain us. It should provide a roadmap to improving our lives.
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens introduced readers to Sydney Carton, one of literature's most compelling and deeply flawed characters. Dickens also gives him an unusual title: the Jackal.
His struggles raise questions that remain relevant today.
Are we defined by our past mistakes? Can we overcome our weaknesses? What separates the people we are from the people we could become?
Lessons From the Jackal is a 25-day character study exploring these questions through Sydney Carton’s life, decisions, relationships, and personal development.
This is not a traditional course on A Tale of Two Cities. Our reading assignments will focus specifically on Carton, with sufficient background provided to understand his story. No previous knowledge of the novel is necessary.
Each day will feature selected readings, historical comparisons, reflection questions, discussions, and practical challenges ...
What plays a greater role in success luck or habits?
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
Poet, Critic, Philosopher
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was one of the most gifted literary minds of his generation. A poet, critic, and philosopher, he possessed extraordinary intellectual abilities. Yet his life was marked by unfinished projects, difficulties with discipline, and an increasingly destructive dependence on opium.
Coleridge produced some of the most memorable poetry in English literature, including The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan. But he also struggled to translate his ambitious intellectual plans into completed works. His friends recognized his extraordinary abilities, even as they witnessed the difficulties that prevented him from consistently applying them.
Unlike Sydney Carton, Coleridge achieved lasting recognition. Nevertheless, both men illustrate the distance that can exist between ability and accomplishment.
Consider the comparison. Was Coleridge's potential diminished by his inability to complete everything he envisioned?
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