What about  a story that does not center its conflict on villains and still captivates  us?

That’s exactly what Homer did with the Iliad.  I’ve been reading this magnificent poem for over a month now and have been captivated by the story even though Homer has not focused on making anyone a villain.   As a Greek himself, he could have portrayed the Trojans, his enemy, as evil. Instead he makes us have compassion for his enemy. Homer is impartial and still keeps it interesting.  I wish I knew the magic of his art.  Of course there’s a lot of conflict in this story and I believe that conflict is still a key ingredient to making an interesting story.

What he does for me is makes me want the two sides of the Iliad to make peace rather than have one or the other win the war.  What a lesson to take into the world.

Some lessons that I’m taking away from the Iliad into my life are:

• Making it a point to see the world from an opponent’s perspective
• Refraining from labeling others in extreme terms
• Having more compassion

Do you allow anger to cloud your thinking? Have you been subjected to a leader’s rage?

That’s exactly what Achilles was experiencing when King Agamemnon insulted him and treated him unfairly.

In the Iliad, Agamemnon is forced by the gods to give his beautiful mistress Chryseis back to her father.  In exchange for giving up his prize, he demands that Achilles give up Briseis, a prize that was given to Achilles in another war victory.

They both start a vicious argument that starts to turn dangerous.  Achilles has tremendous physical powers because he is a hybrid human-his mother a goddess and his father a mortal. He could easily kill Agamemnon and anyone that gets in his way.

When Achilles is about to draw his sword against Agamemnon the great goddess Athena shows up. She holds him by his hair and stops him from reacting from a place of rage. Unlike Achilles, Agamemnon does not have a goddess looking out for him and gets angrier by the minute.

One of the elders tries to intervene and counsels the two of them to work together.  He recommends that Agamemnon allow Achilles to keep his girl and that Achilles show Agamemnon the respect he deserves as his superior.

Agamemnon does not listen to the advice of the elder and is consumed with anger. He continues to bully Achilles who quits the fight against Troy. Without Achilles the Greeks can’t beat the Trojans.

Here are a few ideas on how to deal with a bully:

1. Listen , then observe the offender’s body language
2. Control your tone of voice and volume and remain calm
3. If you need to deal with the offender again, try to meet in a neutral place and if possible make sure that you’re not alone.

Have you ever read the Iliad?

Are you wondering what does the Iliad have to do with better blogging?

Well, I believe it has everything to do with it!

I came to this conclusion when I was reading an article in Fast Company about How to lead a creative life. The article was about Martin Scorsese. He believes that all stories come from this poem.

This peaked my interest and I picked up a copy of this book and researched more about its history.  There are a lot of theories about who wrote it and whether Homer even wrote it. Some believe that the author memorized it and never put it in writing. Others believe that several authors wrote it. Regardless of who wrote it-the bottom line is that this poem was written to be spoken out loud.

I believe that blogging needs to be written as if you and I were speaking out loud.

Aren’t we supposed to be having a conversation right now?

Hopefully you feel that we’re having a conversation and that you’ll be compelled to comment below and add to it.

For blogging to be effective it needs to be written the way we speak.

Here are a few suggestions on how to write the way we speak:

• Don’t over analyze when you write a post
• Start and end the post with either interesting or conversational questions
• Read your blog post aloud before clicking the publish button to ensure it sounds like a conversation

I would love to hear your ideas on how to write the way you speak.

Any thoughts?

Photo Credits by, Lee Gillen

Do you believe that every living thing and non living thing is equally important on this planet?

We are part of everything that is beneath us, above us, around us.

Winoma La Duke, Ojibwe

Regardless of whether you agree with this or not, this belief has been the foundation of most Native American Nations. Most tribes believe that we on earth are equal partners and responsible for each other. They call this spirit power or “medicine”.  They believe that this spirit resides in all things including plants, animals and soil. I sure felt that way when hiking recently in the deep forests of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (named by Spanish conquistadors meaning the blood of Christ-picture above) located along the historical San Luis Valley in Colorado. I was grateful that there are still places in America that are protected where we can connect with “medicine” and enjoy what has been left intact for our generation to enjoy.

One of the most sustainable traditions that the elders practiced was to ensure that the earth was left behind in good condition for future generations. In their councils, the Iroquois and other Native American groups required that each decision be evaluated by asking “What impact will this have on the seventh generation from today?

Today, Native American Nations are continuing to lead in sustainable practices. They are keeping these traditions alive. If there is one lesson to be learned it is to think about how our actions are affecting at least the next generation. Every small step we make with a spirit of awareness-with a spirit of “medicine” is in the right direction.

So next time you are about to hit print on your keyboard, or the next time you walk out a room without turning the light switch off, or the next time you’re about to turn the heat up…ask yourself what is the impact this action will have on the seventh generation from today?

Do you plan your goals every year? I sure do. I create a Mind Map similar to the one in the picture and truly believe that goal setting has improved my life. Sometimes the greatest opportunities in life are not planned. These may become the stepping stones that lead to incredible achievements.

Such was the life of Françoise d’Aubigné . She was born in a jail into a troubled family with a deadbeat father. Her choices were limited due to her lowly birth. This was a time when life’s success depended more on pedigree than talent. Her family did not have the money to pay for a dowry that would provide her the opportunity to marry. Her prospects were bleak.

From such humble beginnings, Francoise became the second wife of King Louis XIV. The King could have married any Princess in Europe rather than this daughter of humble birth. 

I doubt that Francoise wrote any goals. In fact at the end of her life she shared to her assistant that she could not believe her life had turned out this way. What then enabled her to succeed?

• She was always open to new situations, to learning, and a great conversationalist.
• She was approachable, carried herself with dignity regardless of her situation
• Was dependable and a trusted confidant
• She found a way to be of service to others

When she met the deformed Paul Scarron who offered to marry her, it was not an easy decision to accept his proposition. Scarron was paralized and was looking for a caretaker.  She took on the challenge and showed high integrity by staying loyal to him while she cared for him. His connections allowed her to meet and develop the relationships that would ultimately lead to Louis XIV.

When  the King found himself with illegitimate children, her name came up as someone who could be their governess and keep the secret safe. She was approached and took on this assignment by giving her best. She loved and cared for these children deeply. The rest is history.

Balancing goal setting with the flexibility of changing plans when opportunities knock on the door is an approach that I believe can raise someone to higher levels of success.

What do you think?