The Hero’s journey

I Googled it. I had to. I wanted to know what the internet said about the Hero’s journey. Not only did it outline the concept of what the Hero’s journey is but it also pulled up results to help someone write a book following the Hero’s journey format.

Made popular but Joseph Campbell; departure, initiation, return is the format of the Hero’s journey. What makes this so appealing that it is done again and again? It’s the ultimate, isn’t it? Doesn’t it pull on some deep place within us that says “hey, you can do the impossible and change your life and the lives of others…” “You can win, achieve, accomplish, sacrifice and be known as the one who changed many lives…”

Or is it magical thinking?

I think the basic nature of mankind is good. It’s goodness. We didn’t come into this world hateful and broken. No… our first instincts were to sing, to dance, to laugh, to play! We knew we are God. We came in knowing we’re God in a (insert name) suit.

Knowing this, to answer my former question of the Hero’s journey, is it magical thinking? NO.

There are a few disconnects though.

1. We need to remember our origin, who we really are. The suit we are wearing is just the person in the Latin, the persona— the mask. It is the part we are playing right now.

2. We need to remember that the one that is observing the person is the One who we really are. God. Source. The Universe. The Divine.

Without these two things as our foundation, the Hero’s journey is just a fairytale movie to watch after a hard day.

The Hero’s journey is not for the faint of heart. It’s a deep dive into the darkest recesses of your own heart and mind. It’s an excavation of the things you prefer to hide from others. Often you’ll find things in there you weren’t aware of yourself! But that’s the point, to pull it out, to bring it forth into the light to be seen and understood by you in order to heal. In order to affect change where you are.

The truth is, we’re all on the Hero’s journey, we just didn’t know we signed up for it when we were born. We embark on this journey of life here, gain whatever wounds; cultural nuances, habits and gifts we receive from our families and set out into the world to discover how these things actually play out through us. But the trouble is, if we’re not present enough, we don’t see the way we effect other people and often ourselves or our bodies.

It’s the crescendo that a lot of people miss. That revelation where the Hero is left to make the decision to jump the chasm between comfort and growth. Will we do it? Will we make the choice to change, thus furthering our journey and bringing healing through gifts of love, patience and understanding to those around us or will be stay right where we are and maim any hope for growth.

Somestime’s that is the illusion of already being of service to others. You feel that because you’re being used where you are, that that is where you are meant to be but often we are being called to other places. Those other places require a new facet of us, if we are unwilling to set down the work we have been doing in order to embrace the unknown with trust, we will never know what we are truly capable of. I’ve seen a lot of people stay where they are because it’s comfortable. It’s safe. They have security. All understandable reasons. But there are also excuses too.

“I don’t feel called to do anything else.” “God hasn’t told me it’s time to move on.” “That doesn’t sound like something I’m meant to do.”

Often this is fear talking cloaked in the god a person serves. It keeps them safe and it keeps life predictable. Just how they like it.

Not everyone will take up their journey for furthering themselves, for growing. That is their fate to meet, not ours. It isn’t something we need to concern ourselves with, the only person we can steer, is us.

It’s that inner unction, that still small voice within that will lead you if you have removed all your fear and presumptuous prejudice filters. You’ll see and hear it loud and clear. But if those filters are still there, your vision is clouded.

Lose YOURSELF. Entirely. Not to become like someone else, anyone else. But to become what you already are, who you showed up here as. The innocence, the kindness, the big heartedness, the beautiful little child that you once were. I know a lot of us got utterly destroyed by our caretakers, believe me, I KNOW… Feel that. But. We can return to that. We can return to that purity, only now, we come bearing the gifts of wisdom. Hard earned wisdom at that.

There is so much more to say on this and I promise you I will. But I’m going to leave this here for now, I think you understand the points I am driving and where to begin if you haven’t already. Chat soon.

Blessings xx