J.R.R. Tolkien’s influence reaches far and wide. Often called the father of modern fantasy, his writings in The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings have inspired generations. But what about the man himself? From fellow writers like C.S. Lewis and to college friends, the personal influence of Tolkien is almost as great as his literary legacy. From modern writers to movie stars, to beloved fictional characters and superheroes, here are the 6 degrees of Tolkien.

Have you ever enjoyed huge RPGs like Skyrim, Fallout 4, or The Witcher 3 with numerous side quests? Side quests can be a great addition but they can also distract from the main story. What about in real life? The side quests in life often distract from our real-life main quest too. How can you find a balance between working on your dreams and completing those real-life side quests?

We have big ideas and dreams. We imagine how much better our lives will be. But for all our daydreaming, many of us never get started. What are the reasons we don’t follow our dreams? We need to understand what’s behind the excuses we tell ourselves. It takes courage to follow your dreams and we must face some difficult truths. But knowing how to overcome fear and pursue your dreams, you can finally live the life you imagine.

Superheroes are, by their very nature, special. They exhibit incredible powers and hold themselves to incomparable moral standards. They exist to show us the best possible versions of ourselves. But the X-Men in particular serve to remind us that sometimes we all struggle with self-acceptance and feeling different. But that it is our own uniqueness that makes us special.

Whether it's playing a role-playing game or living our lives, we seek a motive and a purpose for our actions. We are driven by the why. What is the importance of why and how can you find yours?

We may not have dragons to slay and princesses to rescue in real life, but there are plenty of quests that we can take to improve our stats and be more successful.

Every day, we face a crossroads of how we will spend our future and if we will follow our dreams. But how to know you are on the right path? It isn’t always easy. Here is an analogy of the journey and choosing the right path. What are the signs of being on the wrong path? And how to choose the right path in life and follow our dreams?

Is life an RPG? In role-playing games, you get to beautiful landscapes, exciting action scenes, fantastic stories, interesting characters, and best of all, be the hero. But what about real life? There's no magic or fiery steeds. But if life was a game, how would it compare to our favorite RPGs? Here’s a review of the game of life and why real life is the hardest RPG of all.

Self-discovery as the hero’s journey. Heroes in stories go on great adventures and return home heroic. We can take the steps that Joseph Campbell described in the Hero's Journey in our own search for purpose. It is not an easy journey, but no great adventure ever was. Starting with the Call to Adventure, we pack our bags and set forth on an adventure of authenticity to become our own hero.