Hero's Journey

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The Hero's Journey in Mythology

In mythology and symbolism, the Hero represents the marriage of heavenly and earthly powers. The Hero is a fallen God or a mortal with God-like powers. If one studies the heroes of mythology a common thread becomes apparent:

  • When the hero begins his/her path, armour is necessary for defense.
  • The hero is generally endowed with uncommon strength and extraordinary skill in some field
  • A hero always has a weak point, the 'archilles heel'
  • A hero's first real victory is that which he/she gains over the self, over the monsters within.
  • After this victory, the hero no longer requires the armour.
  • A hero is called to action at a critical point in his life.
  • If a hero ignores the call to action, the calls will merely get louder and more insistent.

You may recognise the above as a familiar theme (with some variations, of course) if you've ever seen an action / adventure movie. The Hero's story is told again and again in every culture and we never seem to tire of hearing it. 

Change is the end result of all true learning. Change involves three things: First, a dissatisfaction with self -- a felt void or need; second, a decision to change to fill the void or need; and third, a conscious dedication to the process of growth and change -- the willful act of making the change, doing something. Leo Buscaglia

Your Hero's Journey - Steps to personal Transformation

These steps will help you reclaim your life's purpose:

Step 1 : Call to Action

Your call to action may come in many guises. Depression, angst, fear of the unknown and a general dissatisfaction with life, a feeling that all is not right. You know that you are not just a number in a database, a Joe Public and fodder for multinationals. This is your signal that you need to change. Transformation is beckoning. Spend some time and think about what will happen if you do not change.

Step 2 : Start Dreaming

What do you want? You need to give yourself permission to start dreaming. Dream beyond your self-imposed boundaries. What are you scared of? Question the rules you live by. Whose rules are they? Are they right for you? What did you want to be? What are you now? Are you passionate? Could you be more passionate? How passionate could you be?

Step 3 : Let Go

Start dreaming of what you want to leave behind. The people you have outgrown. The organisations which no longer hold any meaning for you. The relationships holding you back. The belief systems with which you have been dissatisfied with for so long.

Step 4 : Embrace 

What do you want to put in place of what you are letting go of? Start to dream of a new you. What do you want to look like? How do you want to dress? Who are your new friends? What do you want to study? What do you know? What really rings your bells? What do you want to feel like when you wake up in the morning? Where do you live? How do you contribute? What is your legacy? Dream of a day in your life in 5 years time. In 10 years time. How do you feel when you wake up in the morning?

Step 5 : The Abyss 

This is your big leap into the unknown. The leap of faith. Your journey into the world of the unknown. The world between who you were and who you are to become. At this stage you start to live your new story. You start to dream of your victory. The abyss is your transition to the new you. A common theme of the abyss is fear and self-doubt. Rather than succumbing, try to see these bedfellows in the same way as you see any kind of exercise: the more you do it, the easier it gets. And the stronger and more resilient you get. 

Step 6 : Refocus

Your reality is what you choose to focus upon. You now start to see the world with new eyes. Expectation of your desired results starts to increase. You affirm the new experiences which start to take place. You are grateful for the synchronicities which start to enter your life. You see the new you and your new life in everything you do. Start to write your experiences down in a journal. Ask your subconscious questions. See the good in everything that happens. Find ways of expanding your consciousness and experience.

Step 7 : Commitment

Synchronicities start to occur with astonishing speed when your commitment becomes unshakable, when you move from belief to knowing. Visualise the continuous growth of the new you. See the old you receding into the past. Work at being the new you. See the new you as reality.

Step 8 : Combat

Combat is another way of saying that you need to look forward with anticipation to the tests you will face. And there will be many. Some will be easy. Others will be hard. Remember, like the hero, each test will serve to strenghten and not weaken you.

Step 8 : Enjoy, Appreciate and be Grateful

Laugh more. Smile more. Try and hold a self-satisfied, confident grin on your face. Believe it or not, it will start to make you feel better. How would someone who has achieved mastery in your field behave?  How would they enjoy and appreciate their success? Why not copy this idealised model? Become the model and ENJOY! Start to redefine what the words 'enjoyment' and 'appreciation' mean for you. How do you breathe, hold yourself and feel when you are enjoying? 

Be grateful for the challenges, experiences and people in your life. They are constantly teaching you and making you find out about yourself.

Step 9 : Practice and Live Change

As Otto Rank once said 'What we achieve inwardly, will change outer reality'. A master of change continually looks inward and re-evaluates what exists within. A master of change knows that the inner world manifests on the outside. A master of change knows that, as Proverbs 23:7 says 'For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he'. Practise the transformation of reality daily. And talk to others about how you have, and are changing. The reality will become more profound and your path clearer as you do this.