Joseph Campbell was a professor and writer who taught at Sarah Laurence College, and spent his life as student and master of mythology and comparative religion. He coined the phrase “follow your bliss,” and whispered in George Lucas's ear during the creation of Star Wars. Many people know of his chats with Bill Moyers, or his book The Hero With a Thousand Faces.
One of the basic concepts Campbell discussed was the “Monomyth”--the story underneath all stories per Carl Jung's collective unconscious (our shared primal-spiritual soup, so to speak). Focusing on the main character, Campbell identified the road-map that the heroes and heroines in these stories, myths, legends, religions, books, and movies left behind—for us to pick up and follow. Because every story is our personal story, and every hero is us. While the details, characters, eras, and situations are different, the cycle, basically, goes like this:
The World of Common Day. This is where we live before all-of-a-sudden life gets really, really scary and uncertain. Kansas. The Shire. A place with set cultural norms, plans, and predictability. Sometimes this world is a good fit for us, sometimes it's not, but here we are.
The Call to Adventure. One day everything is fairly normal (miserable or otherwise), and the next day--you lose your job. You discover an affair. There is a tragedy. Somehow, life conspires to toss you unceremoniously out of your comfort zone, as the gates to your safe, planned-out life slowly swing closed behind you.
The Refusal of the Call. This occurs approximately 3 seconds after the initial call to adventure. “No thank you,” we say. Or scream, or cry. But I sometimes wonder if it's not best to have the choice ultimately taken out of one's hands, rather than opt for safety as long as it remains an option. We can refuse and resist a call forever, but it's not going to necessarily go away.
The Threshold Crossing. This is where we meet people who are familiar with the strange land we have just been thrust into, and where we can obtain some initial support for the journey. Whether it's shopping for supplies at Diagon Alley, downing a pint at the Prancing Pony, or visiting a counselor, employment services office, or college advisor, there are people to help as you begin your journey into the unknown.
The Road of Trials (and Revelations). What doesn't kill us provides us with valuable information about who we are, and where our life's course is taking us. “You have to let go of the life you've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for you,” says Campbell. The road of trials can be long and painful, especially if we keep making the same mistakes and not trusting our strength and capacity.
The Return. Once we've slayed our dragons and claimed the guarded treasure, we evolve and expand the way we see the world and our place in it. Back at a new beginning, waiting for a new adventure to begin, what we have learned from our experiences becomes part of the way we live from that point forward.
Whether we are afraid to take a brave, first step or find ourselves completely and utterly lost in the woods, Campbell wants us to know that the hero's path is there. It waits, quietly--and a brave, authentic life is the reward for trusting in ourselves and trusting the adventure. Onward!
BIO: Nancy Goodman is a counselor with an emphasis on life and career coaching. For questions or to schedule a free consultation (in-person or over the telephone), please contact Nancy at goodnanc@yahoo.com or 208-478-1414.
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