A Hero's Journey

You know all about the hero’s journey because you’ve seen it a million and one times.

For clarification let’s take a moment to spell it out.  

Joseph Campbell was an American writer. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of the human experience. Campbell's best-known work is his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), in which he discusses his theory of the journey of the archetypal hero shared by world mythologies, termed the monomyth.

The hero's journey is a common narrative archetype, or story template, that involves a hero who goes on an adventure, learns a lesson, wins a victory with that newfound knowledge, and then returns home transformed.

This is important because we’re going to apply the concept to your life.

Before we do let’s look at some examples from the literary and entertainment industries.

Books and movies that are grounded in the hero’s journey include:

“Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling is a notable modern interpretation that meticulously follows the Hero's Journey. Harry, the protagonist, transitions from an ordinary world to a magical realm, overcomes numerous adversities, and eventually returns, transformed and equipped to benefit his society.

These are also some of my favorites:
"Star Wars"
"The Matrix"
"Lord of the Rings"
"The Wizard of Oz" (Yes, that story!)
"Spiderman"

Applying the Hero's Journey to Our Daily Lives

For example, the call to adventure can be seen as an opportunity to step outside our comfort zone and try something new, whether it's starting a new job, traveling to a new place, or pursuing a new hobby.

Where in your life do you find examples of your hero’s journey?

If you are a parent you can see how the hero’s journey applies to you.
Maybe you are a first responder going to your first accident.
Or, the first time you experience the death of a loved one.

Each one of those experiences brings with it the opportunity to explore the ‘adventure’, learn from it, and return home transformed.
What you do next is the key to your continuous forward momentum and that will influence your future self.

I’ve had a couple of hero’s journeys in this lifetime. First one was when I left home at the tender age of 19 bound for the US Air Force when I spent the next four years experiencing life from a completely different perspective. I learned a ton as I described in my book "Unwinding!" and carried forward with me all those experiences.

One of the journeys that had the most positive overall impact in my life was when I stopped doing drugs and alcohol.
F.o.r.e.v.e.r.
It was a conscious choice and one that has deeply shaped the rest of my life, including my 35-year and counting relationship with my life partner, Ashara, and earning a 4-year Master Gestaltist certification.

So, my friends, the question I bring to you is have you gone on your own heroes journey? If you have, I’d love to hear about it and you can let me know through an email to [email protected].

If you haven’t yet had your own hero’s journey, I invite you to make an intentional decision to find a way to have an experience that can reshape your life. There are many programs available whether they are online or even better when the experience is live and in person for a couple days, a weekend, a week or longer.

Want to know more about what we offer through our programs at the Enlightened Squirrel Healing Arts Center? Visit our website: harmonysheartcoaching.com

Thanks for the read.