Going on a “Hero’s Journey”
When you randomly hear about something more than once during a week, maybe it is something you should pay close attention to. For me, last week, that topic was the “hero’s journey”. Not only was Mel Robbins talking about it on her podcast, but Edie Wadsworth has an entire message about this journey as well. I heard both of these in the past week. 🤯
At first, I thought of Homer’s Odyssey. But I’m no Odysseus…I mean, if I feel like giving up now, barely two months into my journey, how would I last 10 years against Poseidon? Ha. Penelope must have been one heck of a woman!
But then I got curious, and looked into this concept a little bit more. According to Grammarly, the hero’s journey is a 12 step process used in storytelling that the protagonist must do to achieve their goal or quest. Since we are the protagonists in our own story and are doing more “for the plot!”…let’s see what exactly we have to go through to get to our eventual goal.
What is a Hero’s Journey?
The examples given of a hero’s journey, like Star Wars, The Hunger Games, and The Lord of the Rings didn’t really resonate with my journey, to be honest. I’m (hopefully) not going to be in a life or death situation trying to save humanity. But in the Q&A on the Grammarly article, something struck me.
“What is the hero’s journey?
The hero’s journey typically involves a protagonist who goes on a journey of self-discovery. The journey usually involves a series of challenges that the protagonist must overcome in order to achieve their goal.”
A journey of self-discovery. Now that I can relate to.
Step by Excruciating Step
My journey to self-discovery isn’t really like the 12 steps. Okay, maybe it has a lot of the steps so far. I think within the month I’ve gone through steps 1-6. However, I think step 6 might take a while. 🫣
I found out some personally devastating news…I spent about a week refusing to believe it was even happening. Then my friends (my mentors??) slapped some sense into me and I crossed the threshold into an unknown world.
I’m currently discovering all about who my true allies and enemies are, and going through the road of trials. Discovering a new trial almost daily! However long this takes, when it is over it will make a great story. (But boy am I getting tired already…this does not bode well.)
Act 2
I can only imagine where the rest of the story will lead. Gathering up all of my Main Character Energy for the Innermost Cave where I face my own demons and whatever Ordeal awaits me. This is what makes great novels and movies, the main character overcoming their own flaws and inadequacies and emerging in triumph at the end of the story. In real life, in the MIDDLE, it is hard to see the light at the end of that tunnel, but I guess you just have to have faith that the light is there. The time of blind faith and trudging through darkness and mustering up some hope during the spans of time where everything seems hopeless and “being strong” whatever that means to you — I don’t yet know what it actually means to me — that is the time you really find out who you are. And what you are truly made of.
The author of your story knows exactly what you will need to handle every situation you encounter. All you have to do is take it one day, one hour…one minute…one second at a time…and trust.
Trust is rather difficult for me at the moment. I don’t trust…anything really. Not other people, not the journey, and definitely not myself. But I’m really trying to. 💔
