048. The Choice of Hercules

In, How to Think Like A Roman Emperor, Donald Robertson writes about a story that he calls, The Choice of Hercules. It goes like this…

Long before Hercules was a hero, he was walking a road when he came to a fork. Out of nowhere came two goddesses.

The one goddess rushed forwards to meet Hercules. She was basically your basic white girl with a Starbucks latte in hand, snapping selfies as she walked (a little to pretty-like) up to Hercules. She said, “Hi, my friends call me Happiness. I can promise you a life of leisure, luxury, and pleasure with no effort at all. Follow me down this road and you’ll have it all.”

The other goddess who walked up second listened to the end of the first goddesses speech and then said, “Hercules, I can’t offer you a life of luxury, leisure, and easy pleasure, but what I can offer you is an extremely challenging life and one that demands the most of you. If you follow me, I can offer you a life of fulfillment, flourishing, and immense joy. My name, is Arete.”

Hercules would not be Hercules had he not taken the path of Arete. Had he chosen the path with Happiness, he would have soon found out that her real name was Vice and that the life she promised him was not the life he received.

My question for you is, which path do you want? The path that turns you into a Hero and has us take on life’s challenges with vigor and grace, or a meaningless life filled with easy pleasure and entitlement?

The choice is yours, it’s up to you, and it’s your decision.