Is it just me or has the whole world been called to pass the threshold right now?
Joseph Campbell’s universal depiction of the hero and his or her calling toward a lively adventure is perhaps the most widely recognised archetypal story of our day. It is considered that the hero archetype lies in the psyche of every human being that has and will ever walk this earth, which creates a natural magnetism towards story. From Hollywood movies to gossip within communities and workplaces. Wherever we gather and engage, we understand the world through story. There is none more relatable than the Hero’s Journey.
Absorbed in the ebb and flow of our daily subsistence, sometimes we forget that our own lives represent story. By taking some time to zoom out and give deliberate context to the events of our own lives, we can empower ourselves with a one of the sharpest personal resilience tools that ever did exist: perspective.
A journey of transformation
The Hero’s Journey is about transformation. It represents our departure from the known and familiar toward somewhere new and uncertain. Through the trials of the journey, the hero reaches a new level of understanding of him or herself as well as the environment to which they relate.
For those new to the concept and for a fresh recap – let’s look at the main features of the Hero’s Journey before we consider how we can (re)create our own narrative.
Stage 1: Call to adventure
The familiar world is left behind as the hero crosses the threshold into adventure. Perhaps driven by the unbearable current circumstances of life, or inspired by the pursuit of something greater. Whatever the reason, there is a distinct departure from the safety of the comfort zone.
Abraham Maslow, famous for the development of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, wrote in his book Toward a Psychology of Being:
“We grow forward when the delights of growth and anxieties of safety are greater than the anxieties of growth and the delights of safety.”
Read it twice. And again, if you need to. This succinct statement so aptly explains the call to adventure and the tipping point at which we are required to take action.
Stage 2: The initiation
As the hero embarks on an expedition through adventure, he or she not only confronts challenges resulting in triumphs and achievements but also failures and loss. The hero will meet many opponents. Likewise, many allies, mentors and helpers will line the path. As they say, we can go far alone, but further together.
Part of the journey may be in determining which category to place each character. Think about your own journey – those friends and family who cast doubt on your dreams – where do they fit? In any case, the hero must identify and overcome the obstructions in order to realise a successful mission.
Many heroic stories include wise elder or supernatural mentor who propels the hero’s success throughout the mission. Think Gandalf to Frodo, Yoda to Luke. Understanding that these stories are but metaphor, we may also like to think of our personal guidance system, our intuition or gut instincts as our “inner sage” in our personal stories.
During initiation, the hero will ultimately encounter a single most important challenge. The ‘belly of the whale,’ ‘the dragon’s lair,’ the significant challenge which puts the hero’s safety ay great risk. This great challenge may lead the hero to believe they will fail, that this is the end. The hero awash with despair. The future bleak. But never fear, this is the great challenge the hero needs to dig into the depths of his or her soul, to take hold of those inner resources and harness them powerfully to overcome the presenting challenge.
Overcoming the great challenge is the peak of the hero’s story. The objective is achieved. The hero has accessed a new part of his or herself that has now been brought into realm of the known. Any attached prize or reward becomes secondary because it is the transformation that is the real gift.
Quoting from one of my favourite current day transformative guides, Peter Crone:
“Life will continue to present us with people and circumstances to reveal where we are not free.”
If we don’t overcome our challenge and learn what needs to be learned, the same challenge will continue to block our path until such time as we muster the inner resources that we need to deal with it. Some people will spend their whole lives living out the same patterns as they could not find a way through. This is where introspection is perhaps most powerful. What are your patterns?
Stage 3: Homeward bound
After an adventure beyond the known realm, entering into the abyss and coming out the other side, one cannot be the same person who embarked on the journey.
The homeward journey is not without challenge and in order to bring home the gift and re-integrate, one must continue with introspection and understanding, seeking to resolve old challenges that were left behind upon the call to adventure. New learnings must be integrated. There may also be atonement required – forgiveness or redemption of some form. This is the final threshold and one which solidifies the transformation within the individual.
During this final trial the hero becomes the master of the known as well as the unknown. He or she gains comfort both in him/herself and his/her own skin, as well as in the pursuit of his or her own development.
The hero has evolved.
Constant evolution
Evolution is not static. It is a continuous process of growth, transmutation and adaptation. Though we see the Hero’s Journey depicted as a single circle and a complete process, a more accurate representation would be an upward spiral, where each circuit represents a new plane and even greater level of growth and personal development. Of true transformation. There is no “ultimate” transformation. When we stop transforming, we are no longer living.
The Hero’s Journey can be a useful tool to bring the experiences of our own life into context. To give a place to our challenges. To characterise our experiences with difficult people as well as those with people who inspire us, lift us up and motivate us to do better. To bring us some peace in how we relate with the cycles of life. Some of which see us triumph. Some of which see us struggle. But all of which make us grow and expand the world as it is known to us.
Write your story
It seems a common human trait to write oneself into the story of our life as the victim, rather than the hero. To perceive something as happening “to us” and not “for us.” Perhaps at the subconscious level we feel we are not good enough for the title of the hero. Perhaps it feels too grand. Too entitled. But really, it’s not.
This is not to dismiss the experience of anyone who has gone through trauma at the hands of another or gone through events which seems unjust. This is to empower oneself with perspective, that ever-powerful tool, and get back in touch with our own resilience and perseverance. What if you could challenge the notion you have of yourself?
Exercise
Don’t let reading this post go to waste – practice re-writing your narrative and sharpen your most powerful tool. Here’s how:
- Draw a large circle on a blank piece of paper
- Draw a fun stick figure of yourself at the top of the circle as if you are about to embark on your mission!
- Draw a line from left to right across the top third of the circle. Above the line write ‘known,’ below the line write ‘unknown’
- Mark the right-hand side of the circle where the line intercepts the circumference as the ‘threshold’
- At the bottom of the circle, make a mark and note down a challenging life event that you have overcome (maybe completing a course of study, breaking-up a relationship, a health challenge, moving house, starting a business… whatever comes to mind and feels comfortable to look at right now)
- Between the threshold and the ultimate challenge, note down any people or circumstances which provided either a help or hindrance to your mission
- On the other side of the challenge, note your newly acquired special powers, your lessons, and your transformation
- As you return into the ‘known’ realm with your new gifts, note the challenges you’ve faced here too and how you managed to integrate these challenges into your life. What have you had to let go of? Anyone you had to forgive?
If you’re still in the midst of your hero journey and find it difficult to see beyond the challenges you face, use this exercise as an opportunity to design an outcome for yourself. What is it that you are seeking? What would life look like if you could overcome whatever is going on for you right now? How will you integrate your learnings back into your life? Done allow yourself to be confined to the limits of what is known – be creative!
Now step back and look at your story as an objective observer. If you met someone who was reaching their threshold and about to embark on a journey, how would you tell your story in a way that inspires them? Can you adopt this new story for yourself – become the hero of your journey, in your own eyes?
My journey – may it offer some inspiration
I’ve shared one of my journeys below as evidence that this task is worth doing. I simply wouldn’t recommend it unless I’d tried and tested it for myself.
During the early challenges of my initiation on this particular plane, I absolutely identified as the victim of my circumstances and the people around me. I had given away a lot of my power. To people on the outside of my circle of trust, I seemed fine. Outside happy. But inside was crappy. I was bad company and not very resilient; a breeze could knock me over. I snapped at my loved ones frequently as so many of my emotions had been pushed down inside me, and the safety that my ‘helpers’ provided meant that they saw my worst sides.
By confronting the prevailing challenges that seemed to surround me and embracing the help of some amazing helpers, friends and mentors, I acquired the strength and perspective I needed to progress. I learned to have gratitude for my path and I began moving in the direction of my purpose. It took a certain amount of discomfort to reach that place, and some action and openness on my part to get myself to a point where I was ready to open to new possibilities. Ready to embrace a new gift and commence the homeward bound journey where the treasures I had acquired would continue to be put under the pressure test.
Embarking on my business journey has continued to present challenges, some that have felt heavier than any I’ve had before. I’ve had to continue to dig deep every day to face more of the unknown, on planes I never ever knew existed. But it is worth the gift. Worth the scrapes and scratches to harness the powerful elixir of life that can be gifted to others and fuel the tank for the next plane. And when you look back at your journey, I hope you too will see the value of your experiences.
To end, some parting advice…
Fear not the challenges of the battle, for you will always find the inner resources you need. Trust in that. Sometimes you just have to be pushed a little harder to tune-in and see them for yourself. And fear not your greatness – because you deserve it and the world does too.
”The wound is the place where the light enters you.” – Rumi
What will be your next journey?
Have you already received your call to adventure?