There’s no denying that Gandalf gets some of the best lines in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series. From his immortal, “You shall not pass!” to the advice and encouragement he gives the Fellowship, there’s a lot we can learn from his words of wisdom. I’ve tried to find some of his best quotes for when we need a push out of the Hobbit-hole on a cold morning and into the world outside…
“The world is not in your books and maps. It’s out there.”
We can spend as long as we like dreaming about the things we’ll do and the places we’ll see one day, but to get there, we’ve got to go one step further. These things will always be stuck on the page or the screen unless we go and look for them. If what we want seems out of reach, it’s easy to tell ourselves to forget it, that we’ll be satisfied with living vicariously through other means, but this is the difference between dreaming about something and actually experiencing it. If there’s something we want to do, we need to go and seek it out for ourselves!
“All good stories deserve embellishment.”
That said, sometimes we just want a little space from the world, and losing yourself in a story via Netflix, a game or a good book can help you to see life in a new light. It’s good to experience things through other’s eyes, and to share the experience with people facing similar struggles.
Bilbo: “I just need to sit quietly for a moment. ”
Gandalf: “You’ve been sitting quietly for far too long!”
I guarantee there’s something you’re on the fence about doing right now. Even if you’re still unsure, just make a decision and go with it! Step out of the Hobbit-hole instead of deliberating any longer and see what happens.
“It is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay.”
Never think that you don’t make a difference. The time you spent listening, the money you donated or the compliment you gave was remembered, and made someone else’s day that much better.
Frodo: “I wish none of this had happened.”
Gandalf: “So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
You’ve seen the news at some point in the last few years, you want to drop that comeback you thought of earlier into that argument from three weeks ago, you want a few more weeks between now and deadlines. Wanting these things is normal, and escapism is wonderful, but letting these wishes get in the way of enjoying what you’ve got right now can be all too easy. Since this is the only time we’re given, we can try to enjoy it as much as possible, and there’s always something we can do to make things a little better for ourselves and for others.
