Heracles' Choice and Your Potential pt 2
You ALWAYS have a choice
In part 1 of our story on the choice of Heracles you learned how he had his birthright stolen and was set to perform 10 arduous labours to reclaim it. (READ IT HERE IF YOU MISSED IT).
In part 2 let’s look a bit deeper into the importance of choosing to accept the outcome and take responsibility even when you’re not at fault.
The easy road isn’t so easy
After his dramatic birth, Heracles’s childhood foretold signs of his future greatness. He fought in battles, led armies, and displayed super human strength.
He was now ready to take on the labours set out for him to reach his destiny, the one Hera stole from him.
When Heracles reached his 18th birthday he was visited by two nymphs, or fairies. This meeting is one of the most told tales in all of mythology.
The two fairies represented ‘Vice’ and “Virtue.”
Both offered Heracles a vision of his future and left it up to him to decide.
Vice hurried past Virtue and pleaded her case first.
This story is played out everytime we imagine an ‘angel’ on one shoulder and a ‘devil’ on the other. The devil always seems ready to pounce while the angel is adjusting their wings. Read these temptating words that Vice offered to Heracles and notice a part of your own ‘devil’ speaking:
“I see that you are hesitating, Hercules, by what path you shall enter upon life; if, then, you make a friend of me, I will conduct you by the most delightful and easy road, and you shall taste of every species of pleasure, and pass through life without experiencing difficulties.”
Sound familiar?
Vice tempts Heracles with a “delightful and easy road” and promises him a “life without experiencing difficulties.”
How often does that ‘devil’ on your shoulder tell you the same thing?
Make the easy choice now because it’s convenient. But how often does that easy choice end up being the right choice?
Take the straight and narrow path
Virtue came next and offered a stinging rebuke of Vice’s empty promises.
She offered Heracles his true potential, to reclaim his birthright through the labours, but told him honestly that struggle and sacrifice were the necessary ingredients:
“I will not deceive you, however, with promises of pleasure, but will set before your things as they really are, and as the gods have appointed them; for of what is valuable and excellent, the gods grant nothing to mankind without labor and care”
Not what you want to hear when you want the easy road. Pay particular attention to this phrasing ‘for of what is valuable and excellent, the gods grant nothing to mankind without labor and care’
Remember, Hera stole Heracles’ birthright.
Why must he suffer?
Why should he have to work hard to get it back?
And importantly, why is he given a choice in the matter at all?
You face the same situation all the time
Do you take responsibility for something you weren’t responsible for?
And how does taking on that suffering willingly change your ability to move forward?
When you voluntarily accept responsibility YOU gain the power to overcome adversity.
Just like Heracles, you find that strength comes from inside yourself.
Instead of shrinking from the challenge because it’s not FAIR, think instead about the ability to GROW when you become responsible.
Straighten up right
Walk the narrow path
Happy Training Team