Top 5 Things Every Man Can Learn from Jon Snow
I promised I wouldn't give away any spoilers for those just starting to watch Game of Thrones so I'll do my best to dance around the pertinent details.
Jon was born the bastard son of Eddard Stark, the head of House Stark and Lord Paramount of the North . I guess in these days even a bastard got some sort of preferential treatment. Jon wasn't necessarily a favorite around Winterfell, and was often looked down upon by extended family.
“I won’t be knitting by the fire while I have men fight for me.”
5. Born a Bastard die a king
Jon didn't let circumstances out of his control define him as a man. He did everything with meticulous care and kept his honor even when being tested. The moral of this observation is despite the circumstances you were born into, you can still persevere and serve a purpose. I often remember as a young 20 year old something man, sulking in the fact that I was raised in a household and neighborhood with no advantages. These experience made me stronger and gave me character. I made something out of nothing and became the KING of my world.
Jon eventually becomes royalty! And royalty is a choice.
4. Divine Humility
Jon has never showed not one iota of arrogance on GOT even knowing he was a master swordsman and the ladies loved him. Mr. Snow mastered the art of divine humility that helped empower others around him, like his best friend, Samwell Tarly. If you've at least gotten up to season 2 you 'd understand Samwell was a coward who was scared of his own shadow. There is much strength in knowing you are talented and expert in your craft but not belittling others who haven't discovered their own.
There is a level of divinity to that that only great leaders possess. My other favorite example of his divine humility at work was being on the front lines with men he asked to risk their lives defending the wall and fighting the white walkers. My mentor always said "I would never ask you to do something that I wouldn't do myself." These are the markings of a great leader.
3. Coming Back (Spoiler alert)
I have personally been through some pretty intense times in the last 4 years. From switching careers to an ugly public divorce, and some of it almost destroyed me. I used to ask God "Why are you doing this to me?" and then I started to listen. I had to let the old me die off and be resurrected into who I was meant to be. In Season 5, Jon Snow is killed by men who didn't trust him and thought he had ill intentions. Jon was eventually stabbed to death and later brought back to life by Melisandre, the red priestess. We all were in shock and though I may be spoiling this for you, there is still much to digest.
Jon Snow bounced back and became one of the most influential men in the land. This guy had the fortitude to decide, after being knifed to death by his own people, to still pursue his purpose. A lot of guys would have took their ball(s) and gone home. This was a defining moment in his legacy and as someone who feels like they've come back to life, this was a huge "HELL YA!" for me personally. I learned to never give up and that I will never let anyone define my legacy.
2. Dogged perseverance
There are many times in GOT where I’m like “WTF” when Jon makes decisions. The decision to go beyond the wall to collect a white walker in order to prove to Cersei Lannister that the army of the dead actually exist, in order to get her support, was GANGSTER! It takes incredibly huge balls to literally chase down death. Once again, Jon proving he’s a front line leader, knew him being dormant on the matter of impending doom meant being persistent to prove to all parties at odds that they needed to come together. Jon’s perseverance was contagious, authentic, and he even convinced the power hungry through his determination.
We must develop a spirit of dogged perseverance when it comes to achieving our goals as men. It’s so easy to get distracted in the age of social media. How bad do you want it? Are you concerned with your legacy? What have you built? The only way to build a legacy is being vigilant in your pursuits. I’m not saying go chasing after dead skeletons with dragonglass spears, but you will go through some light and dark times. You must persevere!
1. Keep a Squad!
Jon always kept a good team around him. He even turned his foes into faithful followers. It’s because even men with very little morals respect brave men. The counsel that Jon kept helped him obtain his goals. He had an array of characters, from Samwell Tarley, Tormund, to Davos Seaworth. I keep a good counsel around me. Sometimes for different interests. The older we get the more our relationships change.
We, at the Mastermind Connect, are determined to make our programming and services speak to every level of your life as a man. It feels good to know I have a squad that can help with my business, and relationship advice, spirituality and more. There are tons of organizations that you can participate in (you don’t have to join the night's watch).
We can all be inspired by the king of the north!