Be More Hobbit

Be More Hobbit

It happened to Bilbo. It happened to Frodo. Harry too, and Lyra and countless others in our collective stories. They were given the invitation to be brave and journey into the unknown for the sake of the greater good.

And right now, this invitation is coming to us all.

When Bilbo Baggins is first called to adventure by Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, he is invited to meet his edge - the part of himself where he needs to step beyond what he knows, away from what is comfortable, familiar and ‘safe’ and step up into his stronger, braver self.

This same story plays out with Frodo too, and all of our other ‘heroes’ for it is the journey into what is known as the ‘Restoration Story’, and an invitation to challenge all that is getting in the way of a safe, healthy and harmonious world.

The Restoration Story: Disorder afflicts the land, caused by powerful and nefarious forces working against the interests of humanity. But the hero will revolt against this disorder, fight those powerful forces, against the odds overthrow them and restore harmony to the land. 

We, like those little Hobbits, are facing a threshold moment in the story of our own lives in ‘the Shire’ - this beautiful planet we all call home; finding ourselves being called to stand up for what we know is right and step into our braver selves. Life, as we currently know it, is being threatened by the growing planetary crises around us and the threats to our own futures and those of our children are getting ever-harder to ignore and more threatening by the day.

Whilst it is perhaps tempting to linger in 'the Shire' and the perceived safety of the familiar, that little voice inside is getting louder and louder. We know deep down that things can’t continue this way and that something has to shift. The ‘business as usual’ story isn’t working and we’re seeing the symptoms of our nested crises growing all around us on a daily basis. The global challenges of mental ill-health, social inequity and a growing climate emergency bring us to a tipping point.

“I will take the ring to Mordor. Though, I do not know the way.” FRODO BAGGINS | THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

Right now, we may feel scared – naturally. Both Bilbo and Frodo refuse the call to adventure at first, not believing that a simple Hobbit, like themselves, could do much in the face of such challenges. But they also knew deep down that doing nothing was simply not an option. Through simply standing up for what is right, they showed how much power one little Hobbit has to change the world.

We’ve all faced moments in our lives when we had to step up, traverse our fear to meet our own edge… and safely move beyond it. Not only did we survive, I’d like to imagine we felt stronger, braver, prouder for it too.

The unknown can feel daunting and uncertain, and welcomes us to look after ourselves, to think about what we need to be safe and supported when we step over our edge. Frodo didn’t journey alone. He was part of the Fellowship of the Ring and together they crossed the threshold of their own fears time and time again and journeyed ever-onwards towards brighter futures for all.

All of the stories of restoration happen with people coming together. None of us can face the challenges of our VUCA world alone – we need to support each other; we need the strength of our collective actions and the appreciation that together we can change the systems around us which are threatening the health and wellbeing of ourselves, our communities and our planet.

These times are inviting us to be a little bit brave, a little bit bold and as human as we can possibly be, with the collective courage to restore harmony back to the land and to the lives of the future generations.

To help become a little more Hobbit, come and join our online workshop this Thursday where we will explore how to have Courageous Conversations about our planetary crises by being Brave, being Safe and being Connected (free for ThoughtBox Hub Members):

Rachel Musson | Director of Learning