A Hero's Journey

A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on [her] fellowman. Joseph Campbell

My friend Margaret and I spoke by phone yesterday; she shared with me that she has dealt with illness on a grand-scale over the past six months, both her father’s illness and her own.

It has been tough. But she is bowed, not broken, and this experience seems to be marking the beginning of story in which she is playing a central, purposeful role in her life, embarking on her own hero’s journey.

In his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell describes the key elements of the hero’s journey as follows:

Call to adventure, which the hero must accept or decline

Road of trials, where the hero can succeed or fail

Achieving the goal or boon, which often results in important self-knowledge

Return to the ordinary world, the hero must return, and again succeed or fail

Application of the boon, what the hero has gained can be used to improve the world

So that you can better identify your own hero’s journey, let me describe how I see this archetype applying to my friend Margaret’s situation.

Call to adventure -- Illness, both Margaret’s and her father’s.

At its simplest, the call comes because of a crisis, of any kind, which we choose to face or to run from.

Road of trials -- Will the illness help clarify what matters to her, and deepen her relationship with her father and with her family? Yes and yes.

The Road of Trials is always a succession of experiences, which if we survive, amplifies our consciousness. Almost always, the hero will find new strength and power.

Achieving the goal or boon - Because of her illness, Margaret has set a June 2007 goal participate in a 7-day, 545-mile cycling fundraiser along the California coast. This goal will allow her to ride farther than she’s ever ridden, provide many opportunities for cycling photographs (one of her dreams), while raising money for causes that she cares about. She has also set a goal to walk a 5K with her father in July 2007.

Setting out and achieving this goal is something that will allow the hero to become more of who she is.

Return to the ordinary world - Once Margaret has achieved this goal, what will she do next? Will she want to continue in this new place?

The return can be so difficult. Once we’ve experienced a bliss, whether relaxing on vacation with loved ones, Margaret's cycling to raise money, or doing volunteer/non-profit work in a far-flung place as I did in Uruguay and my friend Jennifer is currently doing in India, it can be very difficult to reconcile our newfound and prior perspectives.

Application of the boon - How will she Margaret use what she learned on this particular journey to make her prior world, and especiallly herself, a better person?

Now for the important question:

Does moving ourselves to the center of our lives require we stop being feminine, setting aside our instinct to nurture?

You know what I am going to say -- Absolutely not.

As with the Psyche myth, Margaret’s call to adventure came in part because of the illness of a loved one. In fact -- and this is key -- were it not for her connectedness to he father, this journey (at least in part) may not have happened.

Where are you in your own hero’s journey? Have you just received your call to adventure? Or are you currently returning to the ordinary world?

How will you record and share your story?

Where possible, please share your stories with us; we want to read, see, hear, experience the unfolding of your story, your personal myth(s)?

Comments

[Matt Langdon]

I've started a website and program based on exactly what you're talking about in this post. Embracing the fact that you're the hero of your own story can be a powerful thing.

Having worked at a summer camp, there's an emphasis on the hero's journey of a camp counselor on my blog right now, but I'd love to see people adding their own journeys.

[Whitney Johnson]

Matt --

Thank you for your comments.

I took a look at your website, and really like that you are working to help people see themselves as the hero of their story (http://heroworkshop.wordpress.com/)

I also liked appreciated your comment that a woman's journey, while essentially the same, does have differences.

Best wishes to you!

[Rajesh]

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[Jill Coon]

I just found this post today. I had not thought of my life in these terms before, but it certainly makes sense to me. I am currently "on" my journey, and have been for about 8 years. I'm an American who has been living outside the U.S. (I'm on my 3rd continent) and along with the wonderful discoveries and lessons, there are a lot of struggles (both practical and personal). And of course I am a very different person than I was when this journey started.

Will I use my experiences and the acquired skills and knowledge of my "new self" to make a difference? I have some ideas but they involve a departure from a successful career, a leap of faith, and not a lot of understanding from loved ones. Despite that, I'm thankful for the gift of time to find out. I really want to be the hero and feel increasing pressure to "do something" with all I've learned.

Thanks again for the thoughts and I'm enjoying discovering your blog.

[Whitney Johnson]

Dear Jill --

I appreciate your sharing your thoughts about your journey.

Something you said that I think will be most encouraging to 'dare to dream' readers which is that 'making a difference' requires a lot of courage because it may mean leaving a very comfortable place, not only for you, but for others. With that kind of resistance, you have to have tremendous resolve. But when you risk big, you 'make a difference' big!

Best wishes -

Whitney

[m]

Hey, interesting site. Have spent some time going through it and I think there are some interesting synergies between what you are doing and what we at www.radicalchangegroup.com have gotten out to do.

I would very much like to contact you and see perhaps if there is room for some creative projects together given some very complimentary approaches and audiences

cheers