In the icy gales outside the Wall where few men will go and monsters assume the visages of the living and the dead alike, there walks a group of brothers in black. They are the forgotten sons and the broken men and thieves and nobility cast down from their station—yet they pledge a sacred oath:

“Night approaches and now begins the watch.”
To Game of Thrones fans, the Night’s Watch is not only a fictional order of soldiers that guards the north of Westeros but a symbol of a sense of purpose, endurance, and internal fortitude. In a society that covets celebrity, prosperity, and ease, the Night’s Watch puts us in mind of the aristocracy in behind-the-scenes service, the quiet pride of selflessness, and the strength of faith when there are no onlookers to monitor.

Let’s discuss what this ancient order has to impart to us about having a fulfilling life.

Purpose Is the Best Armour

The men of the Night’s Watch forgo land, title, family, and heritage. They receive in exchange a single thing—a defined purpose. To guard the realms of men.

This unshakable purpose serves as their guide through cold nights, mutiny, and death itself. When Samwell Tarly, fearful and apprehensive, comes face-to-face with a White Walker, it isn’t sheer force but purpose—and an instant of bravery—that enables him to act.

In our own lives, having a clear sense of purpose tends to overcome self-doubt. According to Viktor Frankl in Man’s Search for Meaning, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.'” Whether you’re starting a business, recovering from failure, or going through a loss, finding your “why” makes hardships missions.

You’re Not Required to Be Praised to Be a Good Person

The Night’s Watch guards a land that hardly remembers it. The southern lords laugh. The kings forget. But still, they keep watch.

In an age of likes, followers, and instant gratification, this is a revolutionary truth: recognition isn’t required to make your work matter. The educator that transforms a child for good might never receive a thank you. The night shift nurse may never be noticed. But in the background, integrity shines brightest.

Jon Snow’s service as the Lord Commander exemplifies that in painful earnest. He makes unpoplar choices, opens the gates to the Free Folk and suffers betrayal—and does so not for fame’s sake but for the good of the many.

Real leadership is lonely. Progress is unappreciative. But don’t forget: “The shield that guards the realms of men” doesn’t receive applause—it requires determination.

Brotherhood Over Background

The Night’s Watch welcomes all—highborn and lowborn, innocent and guilty, scholars and sellswords. After the oath, your past does not matter. It’s your service alone.

This is a strong symbol of self-reinvention. You are not your losses. You are not your mistakes. Such as Sam you may be a coward in one moment, and a hero the next. Such as Jon, a bastard by birth but a king in nature.

In our fragmented world, the Night’s Watch remains a testament to the power of united identity. When a common purpose exists, the differences fade. When the mission comes first, the sides fall away.

Hardship Doesn’t Break You—It Makes You

The Wall does not forgive. Neither does life.

Men die. Friends fall. Duty beckons. And still, the Watch persists. Because adversity, rather than a curse, becomes the forge in which resilience is made.

Take Grenn, the man who stammered in fright—and went bravely to die defending a tunnel against a giant. Take Dolorous Edd, perpetually cynical—yet steadfast. Both men remind us that greatness rarely resembles heroism until the trial.

Struggles in life are not punishments. They are proving grounds. As the saying goes:

“Smooth seas don’t make skilled sailors.”

You Can Be the Light in the Darkness

One of the most recognizable phrases of the Night’s Watch oath is:

“I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watchful eye on the battlements.”

This isn’t poetry—this is identity. It’s the claim that even when everything else fails you, you are the person that remains standing, that holds out, that guards.

In our own lives as well, we have our own personal “darknesses”: depression, debt, disease, disillusionment. Becoming the sword in the darkness is a claim for agency. For courage. For defiance in the face of despair.

To be steadfast when others fall. To guard when others plunder. To keep hope alive when others lose it.

That is real strength.

Final Word: Your Time Starts Now

You do not have to wear black or contend with demons of the ice, but in your world you also stand watch—over your family, your values, your aspirations.

You might not ever be thanked. You might get exhausted. But as the Night’s Watch, you play a role that no one else does. Don’t lose hope. “I will wear no crowns and earn no glory. I will live and die on the job.” And still—you matter. So ask yourself: What is your Wall? What do you protect? What will you stand for when the night grows dark and the world forgets your name? For that’s when your real story starts.

Dr. Prahlada N.B
MBBS (JJMMC), MS (PGIMER, Chandigarh). 
MBA in Healthcare & Hospital Management (BITS, Pilani), 
Postgraduate Certificate in Technology Leadership and Innovation (MIT, USA)
Executive Programme in Strategic Management (IIM, Lucknow)
Senior Management Programme in Healthcare Management (IIM, Kozhikode)
Advanced Certificate in AI for Digital Health and Imaging Program (IISc, Bengaluru). 

Senior Professor and former Head, 
Department of ENT-Head & Neck Surgery, Skull Base Surgery, Cochlear Implant Surgery. 
Basaveshwara Medical College & Hospital, Chitradurga, Karnataka, India. 

My Vision: I don’t want to be a genius.  I want to be a person with a bundle of experience. 

My Mission: Help others achieve their life’s objectives in my presence or absence!

My Values:  Creating value for others. 

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