Legends of the fall: Standing on principle

The movie Legends of the Fall is a fantastic tale of manhood. Gorgeously shot, and wonderfully told, that story follows a man through his entire life, with heartbreak and victory and struggle. Rather than parallel the story too closely, I thought that this month, we could explore together a few of the themes that the movie illustrates, and look at how they can appl to our own wild lives.

Principle is a powerful thing.

prin·ci·ple
ˈprinsəpəl/
noun
noun: principle; plural noun: principles
a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning.

If you are a man without clearly identified principles, you are drifting across the sea of life, and will be tossed around like a leaf when the storms roll in.

If you have a principled life – you can drop anchor and weather the storm.

What are your principles? Have you ever taken the time to jot them down on paper?
What core beliefs shape who you are?

From the time we are young, we are taught to follow our heart. We’re taught that we are supposed to let our heart be our guide.

I’m honestly not sure what buffoon came up with that advice – but I’ll tell you this – following your heart has allowed a generation of men to rise up to the surface – and then just flounder.
Flopping along with whatever they “feel” to guide them.

Listen, men. You are better than that!
Your heart and emotions are fickle. They do matter – they are indicators and gauges on the dashboard of your life. They measure your performance, and they respond to your circumstances.

But if you try to navigate your car by the direction the speedometer or RPM needle is pointed – you won’t get anywhere.

What should guide you, then?

Your principles.

These are what guides you.

Don’t follow your heart… follow your principles.