Hero’s Journey

I’ve always been intrigued by Joseph Campbell’s take on the hero’s journey and how we each cycle through these journeys many times in our lives. Campbell mapped epic tales like The Odyssey, The Iliad, Star Wars, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and many other literary greats. 

Here is a quick flyover summary of the hero’s journey in my words: the main character is living an ordinary life, gets a calling for adventure, resists the calling, a mentor encourages, the character says yes, they leave ordinary life, encounter many trials and setbacks, gain new skills, think they have it all figured out but then gets deeply humbled, ego diminishes a bit, they discover their true self as a loving essence, something happens that leads to a spiritual awakening, they receive a gift of inner wisdom, then realize a divine connection that appears to the reader/viewer as supernatural, they use that power to overcome evil/dragon, save the people, and then return to ordinary life and share their wisdom with others. 

Pause and think of your favorite movies or novels, can you see this pattern happening to the characters you love? 

When you watch or read these epics you might think it’s too far fetched to be real, but this pattern has or will occur many times in your own life. 

Reflect on a time when things seemed peaceful, then something undid your peace. Remember how you faced great challenges and trials, you had to be stronger than you thought you could ever be. In desperation you found God or something bigger than yourself. You gained new knowledge and skills. You survived the trials and came out the other side with greater wisdom, inner strength, and faith. Now you tell people about it as one of the most pivotal times in your life. 

We all have hero’s journeys. Over and over again.

It might start with a nudge for adventure, or a longing for spiritual depth, or a diagnosis, or your partner betrays you, or a loved one dies, or you can’t stay in status quo any longer, or it is time for a new city, campus, or job. We cycle through journeys of change constantly in our human experiences. 

These journeys remind us we are fully alive, grow us in new ways, dissolve our egos, and help us to uncover our true essence within ourselves. 

We discover our own resilience. We learn to rely on a higher power. We are humbled into asking for help. 

We think we can’t make it through, but somehow we do.

We are proud of ourselves for surviving. We offer our story and find out it matters to someone. Compassion grows within us. 

All of this is the gift we receive on the journey. 

Can you welcome your next journey? Can you say yes to the change that wants to come into your life? Can you overpower the resistance? Are you ready to discover the inner strength and wisdom you forgot you had?

Journeys of change can be unsettling, they can also be invitations into adventure. 

What is calling you to be your next adventure?

If you are trying to figure it out, join me in Florida this winter in Naples or Key Largo and I’ll help you create a blueprint for where you are headed. Fun soulful adventures ahead! 

I’m off to my next adventure soon. I’ll write again next Tuesday and then take a two-month break while I’m on the Camino. If you want to read something on Tuesday mornings while I’m gone, you can review the archive here. We haven’t missed a week since I started these Tuesday emails in 2017, so I’ll give your inbox a little rest, but I’ll return with more goodness to share in November! 

I love journeying through life with you,