Helloo0O Ladies
and Gentlemen!
Welcome back to
Graceland Ontario, your one stop location for success
advice from the greats. Today we’re going to talk about dieing for what you
believe in… literally.
As many of you
know, today is St. George’s Day, the feast in celebration of the man who’s patron
saint of more countries and cities than I’m willing to list (England, Georgia
and Malta are on there, though). And though he’s most famous for a debatable
story about killing a dragon to save a princess, St. George was a real man.
Now, I’ve done
a couple of these saint posts (check them out, if you haven’t already: St. Patrick, St. David) but this fella might be one of the harder ones to find
information on. He was supposedly a Greek born in Palestine to nobility who ended up as a tribune
(second-in-command of the basic Roman military unit, the legion) for Emperor
Diocletion after George’s father, also a military officer, and mother passed
away.
Everything was
looking like lollipops and bubblebaths for George. But there was a problem −
Diocletion issued an edict saying all Christian Roman soldiers were to be
arrested.
And George was
Christian.
Diocletion didn’t
want to get George in trouble so he offered gifts to George in the hopes he’d
convert.
He didn’t.
Left with no
other options, Diocletion had George tortured and decapitated. But, in
recognition of his faith and loyalty, fellow Christians made George a martyr.
Now, I’m not
suggesting you go out there, contradict people and get yourself executed (yes,
I know it’s not too likely anyways). But, what I am saying is bear in mind
George’s strength. He couldn’t be
tempted by anything, including the promise of life, to do something he didn’t
want to do − leave his religion.
Everybody’s
unique in some way. And, especially as we get older, most confident people
believe their way’s right, even when they don’t really know enough to state an
opinion. And, sometimes worse, they want you to change to their
way of thinking.
Now, writing
this on a self-development blog might seem a bit crazy but you need to realize you’re all that matters! There’s only
one person you have to live with and that’s the guy in the mirror. Everyone
else, however painful it may be, can be slap-shotted aside.
Though you
should seek to learn and be reasonable with others, and while acknowledging
there are things you’re ignorant of (keep cool… we all are of something), you
need to know what’s important to you, deep down, and stick with it no matter
what. George didn’t want to live life without Christianity and was willing to
sacrifice himself for that. There are things just as important to you − maybe
your family, your work, your business − and you’ve gotta be that loyal to them.
Just because
others tell you it’s wrong doesn’t mean a thing.
It is your
life you’re living.
Talk to you
later!
Alex H.
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- Mean What You Say
- Storm of the Century
