Hearts Unbound

"Now tell me, what does that mean to be noble? Your title gives you claim to the throne of our country, but men don't follow titles, they follow courage. Now our people know you. Noble, and common, they respect you. And if you would just lead them to freedom, they'd follow you. And so would I."
- William Wallace (as portrayed by Mel Gibson in Braveheart)

I just watched the film, Braveheart, for the second time in my life and to be truthful, I enjoyed it way more the second time around than I did the first time. The first time I viewed this film, it didn't leave much of an impact with me.

This time around something clicked inside of me. What stood out to me more than anything through this story is the concept of courage and bravery.

The line I quoted at the top was being directed toward Robert the Bruce, the true heir of Scotland. One day, he would be king and he hid behind his fellow nobles wishing he had what Sir William Wallace had.

What did William Wallace have that was so attractive?

Wallace had an understanding about freedom that no one else seemed to see.

In a dream when Wallace was a boy, after his father's death, he saw his father. He said this to his son:


Your heart is free. Have the courage to follow it.

This is what William Wallace understood, even as a boy.

But, as human beings, we often focus too much on the "William Wallace" types and not enough time looking at the "Robert the Bruce" types. William Wallace started something that most people could only have dreamt of doing.

As you are introduced to Robert the Bruce, all you ever see is his admiration for Wallace and how much he is inspired by the man but never acts upon that inspiration. Bruce is conflicted. All his noble friends want him to give up more and more to England, which doesn't mean the nobles will lose anything, it's just the opposite. The nobles actually gained power and land. It was the farmer and peasant who lost everything while the nobles kept surrendering to England.

At one point in the story Robert the Bruce betrays Wallace for what he thought would be most beneficial for Scotland, or at least, what his father thought best for Scotland. And that is where I draw a point. You see, that was Bruce's problem, his heart was not his own therefore it would never be free as long as it belonged to someone else.

I think that most of us can relate more to Robert the Bruce than we can William Wallace. We'd like to believe that we'd be as bold as he was during all those battles that raged on and yelled "FREEDOM!" at the top of your lungs with a final breath, but most of us would not have had the courage to be that strong.

In the end, Wallace did not lead his people to victory, someone else did. Someone else finally saw his potential to lead his very own people united together for a final battle. Robert the Bruce was that person. It wasn't until he realized his allegiance was not meant to be given to a foreign king. It wasn't until he conquered his own heart that others became inspired by him, which is what he wanted to have happen. He wanted what Wallace had. He accomplished that and finished what Wallace started. He defied a king, and would not allow his people to live under tyranny any longer.

If you think I'm just rambling on, bare with me. I have a point and it's this (if you haven't picked up on it yet).

Your potential for greatness lies solely on your own back and no one else's. The thing about what Wallace's father told young William is that he needed the courage to find his freedom. Courage is not a trait that's dropped into your lap, it's something learned and it can be one of the most difficult things to learn. But you can learn it.

You can't rely upon others when it comes to yourself. Yes friends can help carry you through rough times and yes family can be there for you and show courage on your behalf, but, who you are is determined by you and how you define yourself. Too often, people feel that they are defined by what others think about them and identify you as, but it is quite the opposite. You are defined by what you think of yourself and how you outwardly expose that person. All it takes is a step outside of who you think you are to see what you can become. Don't let others determine your identity because that, like your heart, is free. Don't let it be overtaken because you're weak, but instead let others become more like you because you had the courage to follow you heart.

So I wish to encourage everyone:

Your heart* is free. Have the courage to follow it.

*Insert: Identity
Soul
Mind
Whole Being
Anything that will carry you toward your destiny

You are free. Have the courage to live.

-Chris Peters