This past weekend, I went to see the new Odyssey movie. I absolutely loved it. Then again, I’m a big fan of a good epic. I loved Clash of the Titans (the original – not the remake), Cleopatra, and Gladiator. This one gets a solid 10 out of 10 in my book.
So, for those who didn’t read the book (and if you have, I am super impressed because it was written by Homer in ancient Greek) or see the movie like the rest of us mere mortals, here’s a quick recap.
Odysseus survives the Trojan War. You know, the one where they hid inside the horse and then killed everyone? Yes, that one. Time to head home.
Except…
He lands on an island where a cheese-making Cyclops starts eating his soldiers in between tending to his herd of sheep. He then narrowly escapes the Sirens, whose songs lure sailors to their deaths. He battles giants (because they needed food and water), where many of his men are killed. A witch named Circe turns many of his crew into pigs after tricking them into eating her witch stew. Then Calypso keeps him stranded on an island for years because she’d rather he stay with her than go home. Storms wreck his ships and kill his men. The gods seem determined to make every mile harder than the last, while the goddess Athena keeps randomly popping in to say, “Oh, hey.” He finally returns to Ithaca on a raft. His journey home takes ten long years, all while his faithful dog, wife, and son are waiting for him to return.
For all the monsters, storms, and chaos, the movie is packed with timeless wisdom.
Odysseus, who was tied to the mast while his crew had their ears plugged with wax, wanted to hear the Sirens’ song. What he heard the Sirens sing was, “What you most want is what you most can’t have, and what you most can’t have is what you already had… and lost.” Those are words to reflect on.
The fatherly advice he gives to his son, Telemachus, is, “Don’t look for gods in men. You’ll always be disappointed,” emphasizing that even heroes are deeply flawed.
Another piece of wisdom is when Odysseus says, “The clearest view for a man is from below… at his lowest.” That one really got me. Humility brings wisdom.
The Odyssey isn’t really about monsters. It’s about perseverance. It’s about staying the course when life keeps throwing one impossible obstacle after another at you.
The story is basically one long exercise in asking, “What else could possibly go wrong… and are we there yet?” Sounds kind of like a real estate transaction, right? Real estate has a funny way of feeling like your own personal Odyssey.
So why do I share this with you?
Every hurdle, every storm, every Cyclops of a transaction teaches us lessons.
Looking back over the years, I honestly can’t remember every easy transaction. But I can remember the disasters. They’re the ones that taught me the most, made me a better leader, and gave me stories I still tell today.
The goal isn’t to avoid the storms. That’s impossible.
The goal is to become the kind of person who knows how to navigate them.
Because eventually… if you just keep rowing… you make it home.
And when you finally make it home, you’ll realize it wasn’t the destination that changed you… it was everything you survived along the way.