What I’m about to say is EXTREMELY… geeky.

In fact, of all the geeky stuff I’ve ever told you in these emails, this baby takes the cake.

But…

If you hear me out, and let the message “gel”, I truly believe you could find a renewed sense of purpose.

A mission beyond just making moolah, surviving or living it up.

And maybe, just maybe… an urge to kick some SERIOUS boo-tay in your business and life.

Anyway, here’s the story:

Yesterday while farting around on YouTube (helps me unwind) I came across a clip from “The Two Towers” (from The Lord Of The Rings). It was the Samwise Gamgee monologue — when he’s telling Frodo why they HAD to hang in there.

Why, as all went to hell in a hand basket, they HAD to keep going.

And they HAD to keep fighting — no matter how hopeless it was.

Now I’ve seen this movie lots of times.

And I could probably quote the book chapter by chapter and verse by verse as a kid.

But this time it “stuck” with me.

Especially in light of the world financial woes, political scandals and freaky health alerts the media farts out each day. (If ever there was an institution that actively tries to crush your spirit, the “news” is IT.)

And you know what?

If you read Sam’s monologue (below), and put it in context of the challenges YOU’RE facing right now, I believe it’ll have a positive impact on your day, your year and possibly even your LIFE.

OK, here goes:

SAMWISE: It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo–the ones that really mattered… full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing. Even darkness will pass–a new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine all the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you and meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think I do understand–I know now. The folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back. Only they didn’t–they kept going, because they were holding onto something.

FRODO: What are we holding onto, Sam?

SAMWISE: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.

Sam’s one smart little hobbit, ain’t he?

And his advice is solid gold:

Don’t let the naysayers stop you. Shut out the nightly news nitwits trying to paralyze you with fear and doubt. Dig in, pray for strength and wisdom, and do. your. thing.

If you have a worthy goal, you WILL be challenged.

Question is… will challenges STOP you and send you scurrying back to The Shire?

Or will they PROPEL you forward, making you even more hellbent on throwing the accursed Ring into Mount Doom?

Only you can answer that.

And when the day comes, it’ll be the defining moment of your life.

Ben Settle