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Nicholas Kotar

Fantasy inspired by Russian fairy tales

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Fantasy For Our Time: What the Lord of the Rings Taught Me about Embracing Difficulty

We all have questions about what is the right way to live. Popular narratives seem to push a worldview of self-preservation no matter the cost. Is it better to avoid danger and difficulty? In our family lives? In our spiritual lives? 

Choosing the difficult path and engaging in self-sacrificial behavior benefits those around us. This is the story of history’s greatest saints from time immemorial. As the world continuously goes deeper into insanity right outside our own windows, we need to rethink how we relate to it. 

Today I look back on what Lord of the Rings taught me about embracing difficulty. When we find Sam & Frodo in the seemingly hopeless situation of Mordor, they don’t shy away from it. Why? Sam recognizes this path is the right one because of the stories he read growing up. 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

My Patreon page

The Eco Challenge Fiji

Apostle to the Plains: The Life of Father Nicola Yanney

In a Certain Kingdom

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy my exclusive audio miniseries on “7 Lessons in Resilience from the Life of Aragorn.” Sign up below and you’ll get all six episodes sent directly to your inbox!

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Written by:
Nicholas
Published on:
July 26, 2022

Categories: PodcastsTags: difficulty, epic fantasy, epic fantasy series, fairy tales, fantasy fiction, J. R. R. Tolkien, LOTR, Nicholas Kotar, Russian, Russian fairy tale, Russian fairy tales, Russian history, struggle

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