Long live the King!
Herman Meeuwsen
Scrum Master, speaker, writer, author of "A Scrum Master's Guide to Happiness"
Today is King's Day in the Netherlands, a national holiday celebrating our king's birthday. From early morning on, people sell their items on free markets in every city, town, and village. Kids sell lemonade or play musical instruments to earn a little bit of cash. There is music and drinks everywhere, and everyone wears a touch of orange. It's a fun day to celebrate.
The return of the King
King's Day brings back memories of a great book I once read more than ten years ago: "The Return of the King" by Ton van den Kroon. A good friend of mine gave it to me as a present, and I read it on holiday in France. At that time, I was wondering what I really wanted personally and in my relationships. Something seemed missing, and I couldn't figure out what. The unknown unknowns.
The book is an excellent read that intrigued me, and I couldn't put it down. It's based on initiation stories and seven archetypes. Each chapter starts with an inspirational story, from myths and fairy tales to modern movies, from Parcival and Hamlet to Lion King, The Matrix, and Lord of the Rings.
The 7 archetypes in a nutshell and in my own wording:
For me, the book provided great insights on how I looked at myself. I recognized some archetypes in myself, like the Lover, Joker, and Magician. However, I never realized that the Savage needed space too, and it's not about being primitive or uncivilized. And my Warrior was off duty as I often gave in too much to maintain harmony in relationships.
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I realized that all seven archetypes deserved a place in my life to be whole as a person. And that was the journey I started back then. It's not about being controlled by our mind or emotions, but knowing how to follow our heart. Looking back, I think and feel I'm doing pretty well :)
I passed the book on to my son. And the good friend who gave me the book? She is now my loving wife. The picture features our wedding rings.
How about you?
I'm sure we all have books that influenced us in looking at ourselves and the world around us. Which book has influenced you, and how? Please share your inspiration in the comments!
Take care and till next time!
Kind regards,
Herman / Scrumpy Dad
Marketing Communication Manager | Expert in Inbound Marketing and Content Strategy | Driving results through Strategic Project Management
1 年I like how you mention those different archetypes, Herman. Years ago, I also read a book about archetypes in stories "The Writer's Journey" by Christopher Vogler. Vogler mentions slightly different archetypes, but I remember one that was really an eye-opener for me: "The Shadow, it represents the energy of the dark side..." Which would mean the 'bad guy' right?! But shortly after that, he mentioned: "Often it's the home of the suppressed monsters of our inner world. Shadows can be all the things we don't like about ourselves, all the dark secrets we can't admit, even to ourselves." And since then, I've noticed that when someone gets on my nerves, I don’t immediately see them as a ’bad guy’, but instead hold up a mirror to myself and notice that I’m often dealing with a shadow instead.?
Guiding organizations and people as a Directeur SourcePower / Manager Sourcing Hub @Soprasteria formerly know as Ordina @SourcePower
1 年Thanks for sharing Herman Meeuwsen
Scrum Master, speaker, writer, author of "A Scrum Master's Guide to Happiness"
1 年For those who are curious to read "Return of the King", here's a link: https://a.co/d/5rwfO8o (English) https://www.boekenwereld.com/ton-van-der-kroon-de-terugkeer-van-de-koning-9789020217902?utm_source=www.tonvanderkroon.com (Dutch)
Team Coach / Scrum Master / Agile Coach / Agile Transformation Coach
1 年Love it - this sure does resonate with me - thanks for sharing!