HeroesHeroesA Journey Through LifeA Journey Through Life

““Each of us has a Hero, a Each of us has a Hero, a Sage, a Mercenary, a Sage, a Mercenary, a PrincessPrincess within. Each of these pulls within. Each of these pulls and pushes as we journey and pushes as we journey through the story of our life. through the story of our life. We need all of these energies We need all of these energies to pursue life’s adventure….”to pursue life’s adventure….”

As the Hero journeys the ‘road of As the Hero journeys the ‘road of trials,’ and we pursue the trials of trials,’ and we pursue the trials of our everyday lives. The Heroic our everyday lives. The Heroic task is to “integrate these parts or task is to “integrate these parts or energies and win the prize--our energies and win the prize--our individuality, our sense of place, individuality, our sense of place, our sense of purpose...”our sense of purpose...”

““The Call to Adventure The Call to Adventure lifts us out of our everyday lifts us out of our everyday life where we focus on our life where we focus on our individual problems and individual problems and our individual life, into an our individual life, into an engagement with larger engagement with larger problems….”problems….”

In In Star WarsStar Wars Luke sees the Luke sees the hologram of Princess Leia and hologram of Princess Leia and the hero learns he is not the the hero learns he is not the only one in trouble, society is in only one in trouble, society is in trouble.trouble.

In the In the Wizard of OzWizard of Oz, Dorothy , Dorothy has a problem--she is an has a problem--she is an orphan and does not have a orphan and does not have a sense of place on the farm. sense of place on the farm. The Farm and by extension, The Farm and by extension, society also has a problem-- it society also has a problem-- it is the depression.is the depression.

Neo in The Matrix receives a message from Trinity, calling him away from his life as a computer programmer and hacker. He learns of the appalling problems that face everyone and his own petty problem is forgotten.

Harry Potter has a visit from Hagrid and receives his letter announcing his acceptance into Hogwart’s and learns of his famous past and his parents death. Once at school Harry realizes the larger problems in the wizarding communities.

Frodo Baggins is visited by Frodo Baggins is visited by Gandalf and learns of the Gandalf and learns of the

dangers the ring will bring to dangers the ring will bring to the shire as well as all of middle the shire as well as all of middle earth. earth.

““The fThe final Confrinal Confrontation ontation is wheis wherere the herthe hero must o must face theface theirir greatestgreatest fear…” fear…”

In Star Wars, Luke duels with In Star Wars, Luke duels with Darth Vader. In the Matrix, Darth Vader. In the Matrix, Neo faces Agent Smith in the Neo faces Agent Smith in the subway station. In the Wizard subway station. In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy faces the Wicked of Oz, Dorothy faces the Wicked Witch. And Harry Potter battles Witch. And Harry Potter battles Lord Voldomort. Lord Voldomort.

““Adventures lead to a great Adventures lead to a great confrontation between good confrontation between good and evil….”and evil….”

““We each discover that we We each discover that we can survive ordeals we did can survive ordeals we did not think we could not think we could survive…”survive…”

The character discovers that The character discovers that he/she can survive ordeals he/she can survive ordeals they did not think they could they did not think they could survive…survive…

If we have learned the lessons If we have learned the lessons up to thiup to thiss point,point, we have we have learned how learned how to workto work with our with our allies. allies. We wouldWe would aalso have lso have learned how learned how to masterto master the many the many conflicting elements within conflicting elements within ourselves…”ourselves…”

They would also have learned They would also have learned how to master the many how to master the many conflicting elements within conflicting elements within themselves…themselves…

“Movies [and books] begin with a regular person and the situation begins as mundane. The familiar everyday circumstances let the movie audience know extraordinary things can happen in ordinary everyday lives…”

Tragedy often sets the story Tragedy often sets the story into motion. This is the into motion. This is the summons, the call to adventure, summons, the call to adventure, the quest, and inner calling…”the quest, and inner calling…”

““The Heroic Man or woman, The Heroic Man or woman, having done that which having done that which seemed impossible, has seemed impossible, has returned with a level of returned with a level of integration. In the end there integration. In the end there is a big celebration…”is a big celebration…”

The many different characters The many different characters in attendance in attendance rerepresenting the presenting the various asvarious aspectspects oof a highly f a highly integrated integrated individindividual who is ual who is now aware now aware ofof all of those all of those energies…”energies…”

““The traveler comes back to The traveler comes back to ordinary life with the boon, ordinary life with the boon, the elixir, the wisdom, or skill. the elixir, the wisdom, or skill. The challenge then is to give The challenge then is to give it away. It doesn’t belong to it away. It doesn’t belong to the adventurer alone…”the adventurer alone…”

““Ultimately, the most Ultimately, the most satisfying life turns out to be satisfying life turns out to be making a making a usefuluseful contribution contribution to others. to others. TheThe sense of sense of fulfillment fulfillment is extraoris extraordinary at dinary at that point. that point. SuchSuch ppeople have eople have amazing energy.”amazing energy.”

-Joseph Campbell-Joseph Campbell