By: JRR Tolkien

‘I don’t like anything here at all,’ said Frodo, ‘step or stone, breath or bone. Earth, air and water all seem accursed. But so our path is laid.’

‘Yes, that’s so,’ said Sam. ‘And we should not be here at all, if we’d known more about it before we started. But I suppose it’s often that way. The brave things in the old tales and songs, Mr. Frodo: adventures, as I used to call them. I used to think that they were things the wonderful folk of the stories went out and looked for, because they wanted them, because they were exciting and life was a bit dull, a kind of sport, as you might say. But that’s not the way of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in the mind. Folk seem to have been just landed in them, usually—their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn’t. And if they had, we shouldn’t know, because they’d have been forgotten. We hear about those as just went on—and not all to a good end, mind you; at least not to what folk inside a story and not outside it call a good end. You know, coming home, and finding things all right, though not quite the same—like old Mr. Bilbo. But those aren’t always the best tales to hear, though they may be the best tales to get landed in! I wonder what sort of a tale we’ve fallen into?’ – JRR Tolkien, The Two Towers

It’s been a really stressful season for me, both with the good and the hard. Raising 4 kids, owning a home, married, building friendships—these are all good stresses. I never would say to someone who’s asked me how I’m doing, “I’m stressed,” when it’s all these good stresses. 

But some of you already know, I was laid off at the end of January. It’s been over a month. I’m still looking. 

I’m still going through first round interviews.

It’s been a lot. 

And there’s definitely stress.

I also learned my son has mild autism and inattentive ADHD. What does that mean? A lot. And yet, not a lot, because he’s still our son. Now we can focus our learning towards a more focused set of information to better support him and his learning journey going forward.

There’s a lot going on. 

There seems that there’s always a lot going on.

And the ups and downs of job looking is stressful. You might get it, too. It’s exhilarating to get the reply from the HR software you’ve been chosen for a first round of interviews. You feel like you’re on cloud nine, but then you get the automated email saying they are moving along with someone else.

I don’t mind the automated emails. Recruiters and HR teams have a lot on their plate right now, with sometimes thousands of applicants per job.

The roller coaster of job looking is a lot. And, yes it’s stressful.

So I’ve found a way to help manage that stress, as best as I can in a variety of ways. In this case, as I’m sharing with you, I’ve picked up The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I just finished The Two Towers (and almost done with The Return of the King. I love adventure stories. JRR Tolkien awakens in me a sense of adventure through this epic tale.

We were all made for adventure. It all will look different for each of us, but adventure is built deep down in the psyche of life. Life is an adventure. 

Adventure makes our life more invigorating, and reminds us that life is unique—and there’s purpose. It’s what William McKnight, former CEO of 3M, said, “The best and hardest work is done in the spirit of adventure and challenge.” Reframing life as an adventure sometimes is the encouragement we need.

We’re on an adventure.

Right now, we’re just in the middle of it.

We were all made for adventure.

Some day our part in the adventure will end (as Frodo continues goes on to share), but the adventure doesn’t. It becomes the legends of tomorrow, the encouragement for future generations, the reminder for others that we can make it through the hard challenges we’re facing today.

Perspective encourages purpose. We’re in the process of it right now. I’m in the process of it right now.

It seems glorified to look on the outside of an adventure and see the challenges from the outside. Then we can read to the end—we know that the ring does get destroyed, and Sauron is defeated.

But we’re in the middle of our story right now. I’m in the middle of my story. 

Last week was a really hard week. I ended the week incredibly discouraged, but today is Monday. It’s a new week. And I know I must start again.

Every day we’re given the opportunity to turn back, to stop pursuing the adventure we’re on. 

But don’t. You don’t know what kind of adventure you’re on and what story will be told at the end.

Don’t stop. I need you to keep going. Your movement forward encourages me to keep going.

Read adventure stories, it helped me, and encouraged me. Keep on it. 

And like the The Two Towers, you might be right in the middle of the beginning and the end (literally the second book in the series). Keep going. Don’t stop.

Your story isn’t over yet.

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