. . . report feeling more stressed out than ever?
Life as we knew it just a year ago is a thing of the past.
It’s true, Dorothy: We aren’t in Kansas anymore.
On this one-year anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic, uncertainty and fear still loom large for everyone, no matter where you live and what your situation.
What concerns do you have that keep popping into your mind?
There may be just a few, or maybe many.
But fortunately, there is hope. There is a map for how to navigate these stormy seas. It’s the story that has stood the test of time. The story of hardship. Of overcoming profound challenges.
It’s called the hero’s journey.
The hero’s journey, whether fictional or true, has captured imaginations and inspired people throughout history regardless of language or culture.
Whether it’s the Sumerian’s Gigamesh, slaying monsters and rubbing elbows with the gods . . .
. . . the bible’s Moses, leading the children of Israel for 40 years through the desert to the promised land on a path directed by God . . .
. . . Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, an Antarctic explorer, bringing his entire crew home safely after being shipwrecked and stranded on an ice floe for over a year . . .
. . .or even George Lucas’ Luke Skywalker, battling the evil empire with a lightsaber in hand and guided by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda . . .
. . . the one story that has held humanity’s attention is the hero’s epic journey.
Transcending time and place, the hero’s journey details the quest for a better life, a life of meaning for themselves and for those they love.
It’s a treacherous journey marked by unending trials and great potential for failure.
But the hero’s strong sense of purpose, determination, and courage fuel their quest.
It is the hero, and they alone, who must harness their power within to embark on and complete the journey.
But it’s not only their inner resources that make the hero’s journey possible. It’s also the people they encounter, the places they travel to, and the things they use.
Of course, the hero’s journey is easy to dismiss as old-fashioned myth or silly Hollywood fantasy.
But the reason these stories endure is because of the wisdom they reveal to us . . . wisdom about ourselves.
It’s not that our heroes never felt overwhelmed, anxious, or stuck.
It’s not that they never lacked confidence, beat themselves up for not doing everything perfectly, or anguished over not being able to help or rescue others.
And it’s surely not that they didn’t ever wonder how they would manage.
They did all those things.
And yet, they did manage. They did overcome. And they did reach their own unique versions of the “promised land,” that outcome to which they were striving.
Today, the lessons of the hero’s journey couldn’t be more important or urgent.
No one has escaped unscathed from the unprecedented challenges of the current pandemic.
Everyone has been shaken to the core by the uncertainty and unpredictability of the time.
Some people have suffered profound tragedy. And even for people doing well, it’s been a hard test of resilience and adaptability.
If you’re like most people, you’ve had plenty of moments wondering how you’ll make it, what might happen to you, and what you can do for those you love and care about.
You may even have had more than a few sleepless nights worrying about worst-case scenarios . . . and thought things like, “What if I get laid off?” “How am I going to keep up with my mortgage payments?” or “What if my kid can’t catch up in school because of all the time they lost this year?”
And you notice that when people ask, “How’re you doing?,” you reply “stressed out” or “overwhelmed” a lot more than usual.
We get it.
In fact, tap into any kind of media today and you’ll have your choice of an endless array of tips, tactics, and techniques for wrestling with--and winning--the battle against the obstacles that stand between you and what you really want for your life.
The problem with all those tips, tactics, and techniques--let’s call them the 3T’s--is that they don’t deliver what they promise.
We take that back: They may deliver what they promise . . . for a while.
But the 3Ts don’t work in the long term and their benefit doesn’t stick when they are used like a laundry list of things to add to your life, which is how they’re usually offered.
If they did work so well, why would we need the sprinkling of 3Ts that start gathering power early in December and then snowball in a huge avalanche on January 1 of each and every year? If the 3Ts worked so well, why do so many people repeat their same New Year’s Resolutions year after year?
The 3Ts only improve your life if they’re used as part of a cohesive, structured approach . . . an approach that accounts for the many different factors that affect the course of your life.
Imagine how the hero sets out on their journey. For sure, it’s not by arming themselves with a mashup of this and that.
The hero’s journey is hard enough.
Instead, the hero prepares by using an approach that maximizes their strengths and opens the door for new experiences and adventure that builds acquired wisdom along the way . . . an approach that gives the hero the confidence and hope to stay the course.
Like every hero, everyone has doubts and no one does it all alone.
We believe that everyone has a hero within them. You just need help bringing out your own hero within.
If you want to hear more about what we’ve found to work when it comes to dealing with life’s obstacles, click below to get our upcoming articles series.
>>Opt in to The Hero Within series<<
We hope you’ll join us!
Deborah and Glen
P.S. When you opt-in you’ll hear the harrowing and heroic true story of the Antarctic explorer that will leave you with wonder and optimism.