Living the Hero's Journey

by Will Craig

  We won’t learn anything new and can’t grow or expand if we only stay within the confines of our comfort zone. In the coming pages, we explore the uncharted corners of our inner world to gain new insights and benefit from a modicum of wisdom accumulated along the journey.

  The Quest for Meaning

  “Nothing shapes our lives so much as the questions we ask,” says author Sam Keen. Can stories and myths answer our burning questions? Possibly. What they can do is help us see our inquisition in a new light. We ask: What is the meaning of life? Who am I? What on earth am I doing here?

  We are excited, confused, or maybe even frightened by these questions. Nonetheless, as we mature and travel further down the path of our life, we inevitably come to the crossroad where we seek meaning and purpose for our existence. What matters? How should I spend my life? What do I care about most—and why? Who, or what, benefits from my having been here? What is my fate? Where am I going and how can I get there? To make these inquiries even more daunting, our high-speed, overly materialistic, mass-confused society redirects and misinforms our curiosity, so we’re never quite able to bestow adequate, uninterrupted attention on these age-old questions.

  So, where are the answers? Certainly not in school, because these topics are not taught in most—if any—humanities classes. Parents are not equipped with the knowledge or wisdom to teach this at home. What is taught in church and other religious settings seems to be less about what you want or need, and more about what that particular doctrine wants and needs you to believe. So, if not in these traditional places of learning, then where?

  Yale professor and author Anthony T. Kronman, believes that we alone—no one else—can answer those questions. They cannot be taken on by another any more than another human being can die for us. In essence, we must do our own living and dying—and a part of that includes asking and finding our own answers to some very fundamental questions about our lives. Fate and Destiny author Michael Meade contends that the answers to these questions can be found within the questions themselves, as well as inside the one asking and inside the story already being lived.

  While this may not be what we want to hear, there certainly is a ring of truth to it, especially since no answers can be found in the places we traditionally find them. Heroic efforts will be needed to unearth the wisdom we seek.

  No amount of personal success, financial freedom, or outer trappings of the good life can substitute for the inner fulfillment of sensing an authentic meaning to one’s life. Or, as Meade submits, it is “the knowing that the inner spirit of one’s life is aimed at something beyond mere adaptation and survival.”

  To find satisfying answers to the questions of who you are and why you are here requires going on an inner journey. The quest goes beyond understanding your personality traits, your likes, and dislikes. It goes even deeper than discerning your values and beliefs. Once you begin to recognize and appreciate your overarching purpose for being here, you take command of your true essence. You become capable of delivering your unique gifts and talents to a universe that is just waiting for you to awaken.

  PART II

  Map of Self-Discovery

  THE HERO WITHIN

  CHAPTER 3

  Mapping the Quest

  The greatest prayers are held together with doubt, and the greatest maps lead directly into the unknown. ~ Michael Meade

  J oseph Campbell’s framework—which he called a “monomyth”—describes three main “acts” or stages of the journey: Departure, Initiation, and Return. He wrote: “A hero ventures forth from the world of the 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 his fellow man.” (Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces, 2008)

  In the late 80s and early 90s, Campbell’s monomyth was adapted by Christopher Vogler to enhance script development in the motion-picture and television industry. Vogler believed he could translate Campbell’s 1949 book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, into movie language and unearth a workable format for enriched storytelling.

  While working in the development department for the Walt Disney Company, Vogler had the opportunity to test his theories and refine his structure on the animated features Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. Vogler’s subsequent book, The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, is not only used by screenwriters who are serious about getting their scripts made into movies, but also by many film schools.

  © Christopher Vogler. Used with permission.

  Vogler modified Campbell's classic mythical journey, updating it for contemporary audiences. Here is the condensed version of the Hero's Journey that has since been embraced by many Hollywood screenwriters.

  Heroes are introduced in the ordinary world, where

  they receive the call to adventure.

  They refuse the call at first, but

  are encouraged by a mentor to

  cross the threshold and enter the special world,

  where they encounter tests, allies, and enemies.

  They approach the inmost cave

  where they endure the ordeal.

  They take possession of the reward

  and are pursued on the road back to the ordinary world.

  They experience a resurrection and are transformed by the experience.

  They return with the elixir, to benefit the ordinary world.

  So, how might this adventure apply to your life? For a Hero’s Journey to fit the criteria and meet the standards of a compelling motion picture, Hollywood veteran script consultant Michael Hauge insists it will be composed of these three elements:

   A captivating or emotionally involving character,

   who is pursuing some compelling desire

   and faces seemingly insurmountable obstacles in achieving it.

  Sound about right for your life? Thought so. You’re perfect for this role. There’s no more need for hesitation or procrastination. Let’s get started by pulling out our compass and getting a bearing on where we’re headed.

  Moral Compass Rose

  Finding our way in this ethically challenged world requires a durable moral compass. These days, the stress test for what’s right and what’s wrong is extremely elastic. Once again, falling off the edge of the world seems like a real possibility.

  For centuries, the fundamental navigational tool for guiding sailors and souls has been the compass rose. Prominent on almost every map, the wind rose—as it was originally called—designates the directions of the 32 winds—the 4 principal winds being North, East, South, and West. When placed inside the circle of a compass, these 32 points resemble a rose in bloom. The northernmost direction of the compass rose is traditionally marked with an arrowhead or, more ornately, with the symbol of the fleur-de-lis.

  If your moral compass is anything like mine it always seems to be swaying from one side of true north to the other. I don’t always do the right thing and sometimes I lose my way altogether. My moral compass pulls me back on track. I know I’m headed in the right direction when I’m being true to myself.

  Do something totally off the rails and your moral compass will never let you forget. When I was a young adult I participated in a club that was created to help up and coming professionals. The annual election of officers was being presided over by the outgoing president, John—a guy I admired and wanted to emulate.

  When all the ballots were collected, he chose me to help him count them and determine his replacement. The two of us retreated to the building’s stairwell for some privacy. Sorting through a bucket of paper strips, we placed them into two piles on the floor. It was a close race. Very close. The new president won by a single vote.

  John wasn’t pleased. The winner wasn’t who he thought it should be. We recounted the strips but the numbers came out the same. John proceeded to convince me that his choice would make a better president and since we were only
talking about one vote—in the best interest of the organization—we should endorse his recommendation for incoming president. Call it peer pressure, call it misguided youth. Whatever you call it, manipulating the election was wrong and immoral.

  I agreed to the unethical behavior to be like someone I no longer wanted to be like. But it was too late. We walked back into the meeting room and announced the name of the newly “elected” president. Some thirty years later, I still recount this incident like it was yesterday. And, no, it’s not lost on me that this was an organization for up and coming professionals.

  Ancient Maps, New Directions

  As long as you’re stepping up, you are entitled to the most recent version of the map. We’ve seen how the Hero’s Journey is the primary structure of most myths and many motion pictures. Let’s adapt this myth/story/movie structure to characterize the inner journey of personal growth. And while we’re at it, let’s update the symbology for a more contemporary time.

  Let’s transition from external to internal. For the purposes of self-discovery, we no longer view this map as a representation of a physical place. We go inside ourselves and uncover what’s been there all along. Our destiny.

  Going inward, our conscious mind takes the place of the ordinary world (the known). Our unconscious mind, or subconscious, represents the special world (the unknown).

  These subtle tweaks enable us to adapt the mythically based Hero’s Journey from stories and films to personal growth and development. We can now use the time-tested structure of the monomyth to help us understand ourselves and our purpose on this path of self-discovery.

  The revised multidimensional map is divided into two unequal spheres: conscious and unconscious. The image of the snake eating its tail may seem a bit unpleasant but it is symbolic of the circle of life. The serpent is one of the oldest and most common mythological symbols, and a featured element of some of the oldest known rituals. In Greek, it is known as the ouroboros (“he who eats the tail”). It is the symbol of life transforming itself by discarding the past and embracing the future. The snake sheds its skin, one generation after another, to be born again. If it does not renew itself, if the snake is not reborn, it ceases to exist.

  In alchemy, the medieval predecessor to chemistry, the ouroboros represents the spirit of Mercury and the cycle of life and death. For an alchemist seeking the elixir of everlasting life, it symbolizes the eternal unity of all things. For us, it unites the conscious and unconscious minds.

  While we’re here, we should also clear up any confusion about the subconscious mind. Often, unconscious and subconscious are lumped together as meaning the same thing. I’ve done it myself. This truly annoys professionals in the psychology community (insert smile here). As a shout-out to them—and as a courtesy to you—I’ll do my best to provide a simple and concise explanation of the three minds.

  Conscious: According to Sigmund Freud, the conscious mind is populated with everything inside our awareness. Everything we’re thinking, caring, feeling and fantasizing about. Fortunately, with all of that to do, this is also the only mind with the ability to focus and visualize. It is responsible for logic and reasoning. This is where decisions are made and directives are given. It is the gatekeeper and filter of your belief system. Remembering utility items like your phone number, Google password, and the visual map of how to get work are delegated to the subconscious for instant retrieval when required. The conscious mind is also where we imagine, create, and envision a brighter future. With a workload of this size, it may be hard to believe this is the smallest of the minds. In fact, scientists suggest it represents only about 10% of your brain’s capacity.

  Subconscious: This mind is responsible for involuntary actions. Your subconscious regulates your breathing, your heartbeat, and dozens of other ongoing functions that run the body. It monitors the sensations of your five physical senses, and some believe it is the origin of a “sixth sense,” as well. The subconscious manages recent memories, recurring thoughts, temporary feelings, and the moods generated as a result of these. The subconscious can do so much so fast because it sorts and codes using symbols. It acts as an onboard search engine recalling pertinent facts and responses to any given situation, and then delivers these to the conscious mind. This is how we provide “informed” reactions and “enlightened” responses.

  There’s a catch, however. The subconscious mind only takes literal commands from the conscious mind. It cannot distinguish true from false, right from wrong, reality from fantasy, or an actual event from one that is vividly imagined. Of all three components of the human mind, the subconscious occupies the most space (50–60%) and is arguably the most significant.

  Unconscious: The source of all internalized information, knowledge, and experience is the unconscious mind. This is the vault. Deep feelings, ingrained behaviors, and distant memories are filed away here for long-term storage. As such, they aren’t directly accessible to the conscious mind. Only the subconscious mind can search and secure this data and—even then—access isn’t necessarily guaranteed. You’ve probably experienced having a memory right on the tip of your tongue but, for some unknown reason, it can’t be pried out of the unconscious. There’s no backdoor to the unconscious mind. Not even the NSA can access it (although they’re probably working on it).

  My advice? Just forget it. Literally. Leave it alone and give that troublesome unconscious mind a chance to let its guard down. At a moment when you least expect it, your subconscious will sneak in, retrieve it, and express it to the conscious mind like it came out of thin air.

  Isn’t it interesting how we depend on the conscious mind almost exclusively for our health and well-being? What we may not recognize is that while our conscious mind calls the shots and decides how we act, the unconscious filters our experience and determines how we react. File this last bit of information away for later. It is one of the keys to surviving and thriving on our inner journey.

  In Michael J. Gelb’s book, How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci, researchers estimate that our unconscious mind outweighs the conscious mind by more than ten million to one. Is there any doubt where you’ll find your hidden, natural genius? Leaving the conscious mind, we cross the threshold into the special world of the unconscious mind. Let’s see how good we are at listening to a part of us that is much smarter than we are.

  To keep things uncomplicated and to stay true to our updated simplified map, the subconscious and unconscious together represent the special world in the Hero’s Journey and are simply referred to as the unconscious mind. The Map of Self Discovery is the Hero’s Journey adapted for the purposes of personal development. We’ll switch back to the more familiar symbols and analogies later, but for now, let’s stick with the key to all successful journeys: self-knowledge.

  Your Wish Is My Command

  One way to visualize the three minds working together is to recall your last trip to the library. Depending on the size of the library, it can be almost impossible to find the book you’re looking for without the help of the librarian.

  I like to think of my librarian as the Genie from the animated Disney film Aladdin. The Genie character, voiced by Robin Williams, is lightning-fast, has a multitude of options, and he’s fun. He has a built-in super search engine to access the massive library of the unconscious mind. Genie does whatever I consciously tell him to do—without question.

  The Genie we all have inside us is awaiting our instructions and is ready to grant our every wish. Of course, if it were this easy, we would all live in castles and zip around on magic carpets.

  Want to change your life? Here’s the quick answer: Pay closer attention to your thoughts and the instructions you give your Genie. If that sounds too simple, just grab your magic lamp and read on.

  Sometimes we think the things we say to ourselves don’t matter, that they are just random or fleeting thoughts. The fact is, what you say to yourself (your Genie) really does matter and will determine your fate for the day, the week, and your entire
life.

  Where can you find this Genie? He is your subconscious mind. And here’s the rub: We don’t have an option as to whether or not we give him instructions. He pays attention to our every thought. Our only point of control is the type of instructions we provide.

  If you’re thinking, “Life stinks, this is really lousy,” your Genie hears that. You may not think he is affected by this negative self-talk, but Genie takes it all in and attempts to give you what you have requested. He is very disciplined this way. The trouble is, he’s not very good at deciphering moods, doubts, and fears. In fact, your Genie has no reasoning capabilities whatsoever. That comes from your conscious domain. His only job is to obey your commands.

  When you tell yourself, “Today is going to be a bad day because that’s the way my ‘luck’ runs,” your Genie hears that and says, “Okay, I have received your wish. Here is your bad day!” Of course, you didn’t mean for him to take what you said literally, and you may not have even realized you used up a wish when you had that thought.

  Think about the last time you balled up a piece of paper and threw it across the room into the trash can. Bull’s-eye! It feels so good to make a shot of that distance with deadly accuracy that you decide to do it again. This time, you give it some thought. That little nagging part of your brain you thought was asleep starts telling you, “That first shot was luck. You can’t do that again.” And sure enough, your next shot bounces off the rim onto the floor. You immediately spring up and grab the wad of paper, not dropping it in the trash but taking it back to the spot from where you missed to try again. We’ve all played the trash-can game. It’s also an excellent example of Genie executing the commands we provide him.