Most of us have heard of the legendary heroics of King Arthur. He came from humble backgrounds to pull the sword from the stone and become the king of Britain. Even though he was (most likely? Stay tuned for a possible podcast episode about THAT) fictional, he’s probably one of the most famous kings in legends. But King Arthur wasn’t without his challenges, and many of his trials mirror the challenges we face in our own personal growth, especially if we examine the themes of resilience, transformation, and self-discovery in his stories.
Arthur led his knights of the Round Table in battles against the Saxons, Picts, and the Roman Empire who threatened his kingdom. He faced the constant challenge of keeping peace and order among his people and his lands, which were under threat from a variety of enemies at various times.
While you might not face military challenges in your life, you probably have to keep peace and order, whether it’s among your family, in your job, or in your own life. You have to show resilience in the face of challenges that threaten this peace and keep calm in order to best meet and defeat these challenges.
There were supernatural challenges that King Arthur faced in his lifetime. He faced giants, dragons, and sorcerers that threatened him and his knights. The quest for the Holy Grail was one of his most famous, and it involved the supernatural as well.
Again, you’re probably not facing supernatural challenges. But the challenges you do face on a regular basis are transformative. And what’s more supernatural than that? As you face your trials, think of what you value and what’s most important to you, and make your decisions based on that, so that you can transform into a person you’re proud to become.
On top of everything else, Arthur also had internal betrayals to deal with. His queen, Guinevere, had an affair with Lancelot, who was a knight of Arthur’s Round Table. This ultimately led to the Round Table being dissolved. Mordred, Arthur’s illegitimate son, also betrayed him and eventually lead an uprising against Arthur and ended up killing him in battle.
Hopefully, these are not your internal challenges. But your internal challenges can lead to so much self-discovery. It’s when we’re faced with internal challenges that we learn the most about ourselves. Internal adversity may not be the most fun to deal with, but they can sometimes teach you the most. Let them teach you, and take those lessons, and use them to become the next best version of yourself.
So no, you’re not facing the same challenges as King Arthur. But the modern challenges that you are facing make you just as heroic and legendary as he was. Maybe even more so, because you’re 100% real, and so are the challenges you’re facing on a daily basis. Own it and become the hero you were meant to be.
How do you own your heroics? What hero or legend inspires you?