Forging Real Giants in a World Obsessed with Fakes
Ever feel the weight of expectation? That quiet whisper wondering if you truly belong, especially when you consider the paths forged by those who came before? This week on The Collective, Chance and I, alongside the grounded wisdom of Brian Churchill (a serving LAPD Lieutenant and Lieutenant commander in the USCG Reserve), and an initial spark from Scott Casey (a Canadian Forces Veteran, Advocate and Founder of The Rolling Barrage), tackled the immense concept of “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants.” It’s a phrase often thrown around, but we ripped it open to explore the intimidating reality, the profound responsibility, and the unglamorous truth of what it truly takes – not just to climb, but to become a foundation worth climbing upon.
Forget the Hollywood heroes for a moment. As we quickly discovered, the giants who truly shape us often don’t wear capes or command headlines. Brian painted a vivid picture of his grandfather – a lifetime of service in law enforcement and the Coast Guard, whose quiet dedication became a defining force. I reflected on mentors like Sebastien Lavoie, a giant within the RCMP world, proving that impact transcends industry or title. This subject is about character, sacrifice, the values they embody, and often, as Scott initially touched upon regarding my own JTF2 plankholder experience, not realizing our humility blinds us to our own significant stature. The figures we meet in life who make a mark on us, often plural and diverse, form the real bedrock beneath our feet, and the feet of others.
But standing on those shoulders isn’t a passive act of admiration. It comes with a weight, a sense of debt. I spoke about that almost primal urge for “payback” – not in coin, but in effort. It’s the relentless drive to validate the sacrifices made by those before us, or by those who continue to sacrifice, to prove their investment wasn’t wasted, to meet their high standard. This feeling isn’t about guilt; it’s about honouring legacy through intense, personal action.
And where does that action matter most? Perhaps the most crucial responsibility we unearthed is in forging the next layer of giants. Dave Kervin’s sharp question on Instagram pivoted the conversation towards parenting and mentorship. It’s not just about our climb, but ensuring the next generation has strong shoulders to reach for. Brian’s story of his son navigating challenging environments in South Sudan wasn’t just about pride; it was about the intentional creation of resilience and perspective. As I often say, we’re not just raising our kids; we’re raising their kids – embedding the values, the grit, the why behind things, so they understand the foundations of character long before they face their own storms.
Which brings us to the hard, perhaps uncomfortable, truth about becoming that foundation yourself. It isn’t bought, inherited, or achieved overnight. It’s earned.
The Hollywood Mirage vs. The Earned Foundation: Why Thor Can’t Teach You Grit
Here’s a critical insight that crystallized, cutting through the noise of modern heroism: We’re being sold a dangerous counterfeit of giantism, and it’s time we called it out. Our culture elevates the artificial constructs of Hollywood – the superheroes with CGI powers, flawless physiques, and conveniently resolved conflicts, often mistaking the actors for the ideals they portray. We’re encouraged to admire, consume, and even buy pieces of this manufactured image (the cheap plastic Tony Stark glasses, the plastic Thor hammer), mistaking passive fandom for aspiring to greatness.
But as our conversation starkly revealed, this is a profound, potentially damaging, misdirection. Giantism isn’t found in-between takes on a movie trailer, next to a plate of crustless cucumber sandwiches. It’s not achieved through special effects or a marketable PR backstory. It’s forged in the unglamorous, relentless, real-world grind. It’s built through the high levels of stubborn consistency I confessed to, the small, incremental wins Brian uses to conquer doubt, the conscious decision to uphold values when it’s difficult, and yes, even the discipline to take out the damn garbage without complaint, perhaps even finding a way to recognize it as a testament to your consistent drive.
The true “novel wisdom” isn’t just that giantism is earned; it’s recognizing that the passive consumption of fictional heroism actively distracts us from the hard, necessary work of becoming heroes in our own lives. It teaches us to look for the easy spectacle rather than valuing the difficult process. Forget idolizing Thor – his hammer wasn’t earned through sleepless nights wrestling with doubt or decades of showing up. Look instead to the real people, often unnoticed, who build their foundations brick by disciplined brick. That is the strength worth standing on, and the only kind we can authentically build ourselves.
Yet, even within this necessary grind, there’s another layer the giants understand: finding a way to acknowledge the suck – the sandbags, the freezing cold, the endless tasks – and choosing not to be defined by it. It’s about gamifying the mundane, like turning garbage day into a ridiculous display of martial arts (guilty!), or finding humour in sharing scavenged from the garbage dump Filet-O-Fish sandwiches in order to survive in a sniper observation post. It’s Brian finding genuine enjoyment in challenging deployments others complain about. This isn’t about denying difficulty; it’s about mastering perspective, building resilience, and making the demanding journey sustainable, even enjoyable. Context, as we discussed, is everything – you appreciate the caviar more after you’ve known hunger.
So, what does it take? It’s about seeing giants broadly, accepting the weight of responsibility, investing fiercely in the next generation, recognizing the flawed humanity in our heroes (and ourselves!), and above all, earning your place daily through consistent, gritty action. It’s about rejecting the shortcuts, knowing your ‘why,’ embracing your own form of stubbornness, and finding ways to inject play and purpose into the process.
Standing on the shoulders of giants isn’t just about looking back; it’s a call to climb, to build, and to become worthy of the view. It requires effort, intention, and the brutal honesty to choose the hard, earned path over the easy, manufactured one. It’s the essential work of progress, legacy, and truly being better together.
Ready to start your climb?
Listen to the full, unvarnished “Shoulders of Giants” discussion here: Shoulders Of Giants
Keep learning, building, and growing,
Shaun & The Collective Crew
