Paramount’s Yellowstone is the kind of series that sneaks up on you and surprises you at every turn. It’s a western, it’s a drama, but it’s really a show about the bonds we form and the relationships we cultivate.
The incredibly beautiful storyline is only so captivating because of the ups and downs in its storytelling. There are moments of magic, bliss, and immeasurable love, as well as moments of tragedy, loss, and heart-wrenching turmoil.
Yellowstone has given us fan-favorite characters, romance to root for, and stories to enjoy, and it’s also given us life lessons to take with us in each chapter of our journey. From the silly and the mundane to the powerful and the ever-lasting, you can learn a lot from the western drama taking place at the Yellowstone-Dutton Ranch.
From the very relatable moments to the larger-than-life tragedies, the life lessons Yellowstone can teach or remind us of are incredible. Here are some of our favorites in all of their beauty and heartache.
Loyalty is the most important thing we’ve got
The best thing we can give to someone is truth and loyalty, the promise of upholding our word and honoring our relationships with them. It’s important to nurture every type of relationship you’ve got, and a fundamental piece of a strong bond is loyalty.
They take it very seriously at the Yellowstone-Dutton Ranch, even branding it into their chests. It’s a show of commitment, devotion, and belonging to something bigger than yourself. That level of loyalty can be scary, it requires a lot of vulnerability, but it’s a reward that is so often worth the risk.
“We’re with the Yellowstone. Nobody’s gonna mess with us,” Jimmy says early in the series, and it’s almost comforting to hear someone with so much belief that loyalty will protect them. You never know when a show of allegiance will impact someone’s life, so if you’ve got time to let someone know that you’ve got their back — you should tell them.
Apologies never go out of style
Even when it can be nearly impossible, saying “I’m sorry” is always in style. Apologies force us to take a moment and evaluate pain, a hurt we’ve caused someone else, and even hurt we’ve caused ourselves. Two words should be easy to say, two syllables that require so little but mean so much.
There are times when the apology feels like the most challenging thing you’ll ever do, and perhaps those are the times when they are the most meaningful. For as necessary as it is to learn to say those two words, it’s also monumental to hear them, to allow yourself to feel the relief they can bring.
Accepting an apology is as important as giving one, and neither experience is easy, but they’re both essential blocks in building the kind of life you look back on with joy. The Yellowstone-Dutton ranch has heard several apologies, with even our most hard-headed characters learning to say them, and with each one begins a new layer of a relationship, one with more love and more light.
Both the Willow and the Oak are valuable
A quote from one of our favorite ranch hands leads us to this vital life lesson, and while the circumstances in which he says it point to the fact that being the oak is most sought-after, the truth is; that we need both.
“You can’t teach that – toughness. You’re either born a willow or you’re born an oak. That’s all there is to it.”
The oak is strong; it’s powerful, and it’s majestic. The Willow is beautiful; it’s emotional, and it’s brave. Both trees, so vastly different, stand tall in the face of wind and rain; they look powerful on an afternoon filled with sunshine and a cool breeze. It is innately human to be both the Oak and the Willow; it is necessary.
We must balance strength and softness, toughness and the ability to be vulnerable — we’ve all got both sides within us, two halves of one whole. Embracing the oak and the willow will do us justice in various meaningful, life-changing moments.
Everyone looks good in neon
This one is inspired by a sweet moment between Rip and Beth that mended our hearts and made us giggle. Rip wanted to plan a special date for Beth, and she was less than impressed with his original idea of a music festival. When she told him to pick something she’d like better, he took her to a dive bar, and they sat under neon lights and drank beer together.
Rip told Beth that she looked beautiful, and Beth said to him that everyone looks good in neon. So maybe that part of the moment isn’t where the essential life lesson lies, but we promise it’s part of the bigger picture.
That great date turned into several more, then to moments of bonding, and eventually to a wedding on the Yellowstone-Dutton Ranch itself. The lesson here is to love the moments you get with the people you love, to find a neon light or a movie trip, and sit together in it. Everyone looks good in neon, but what makes people shine is how they look when loved.
Live your life doing more
Patriarch John Dutton once gifted Monica with a powerful quote: “Living day to day isn’t living. It’s surviving with no regard for tomorrow.”
The quote is something we would all do well to live by. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life; we can easily find ourselves going through the motions without stopping to take a second and realize what’s most important.
Living day to day can feel like merely surviving, which is doing a disservice to yourself. If we stop to take a moment to help someone out and live with more love and devotion, we can change the world for ourselves and others.
So do the big thing, do the scary thing, care more, love more.
Your past doesn’t define you
Another nugget of wisdom from Lloyd adds a vital life lesson to our Yellowstone-inspired list, “You know, you did something that no one does, Rip. You’ve outlived your past.”
You don’t have to be defined by the choices or mistakes of your past. Some moments will undeniably change our paths and throw a wrench into even our best-laid plans, but it doesn’t mean those moments have to define who we are.
Our past helps to shape us, but it doesn’t create a circumstance for us, especially if it’s one in which we feel stuck. You are not only allowed but strong enough to move beyond the past and cultivate a future you’ll be proud of.
Several characters at the Yellowstone-Dutton Ranch have done things they’re not proud of; that’s part of the whole “branding” thing. These people have made choices, many of which weren’t great, but they were given a fresh start and a new lease on life by John Dutton and the Yellowstone. We might not have a ranch at our disposal, but we have a tomorrow that brings a new sunrise to enjoy.
Love your family; it’s what makes the world go ’round
John Dutton says something that makes a lot of sense, as he often does, but this one really sticks with viewers. You can love your family, enjoy a sunrise, and still be meaner than the worst opponent you could imagine.
“Learn to be meaner than evil and still love your family and enjoy a sunrise.”
If you can face the worst of the worst while still remaining vulnerable and soft, full of love and joy, you’re doing it right. If you can enjoy a sunrise at the beginning of each morning despite how hard the previous day was, you’re doing it right.
Life is short, in the grand scheme of things — it all goes by in a flash. We’re here for such a short window and should spend it all in love. Love your family with all you’ve got, keep that mean bone in your body for moments when you must use it, and wake up early to enjoy the sunrise. It’s all part of the beautiful puzzle.
Yellowstone‘s fifth season kicks off on Nov. 13, and you can catch up on all of the magic in the first four seasons streaming now on Peacock.