This is a recurring concept in our literary history. Most religions have a central figure that had some great wrestle with an enemy, God, natural forces, themselves to overcome before they started their journey. Jacob for example, had a great struggle with himself before he could face God and live. It was on that day that his name changed to Israel. Siddhartha endured pain, fasting, hunger, and suffering to rise from underneath the Bodhi tree to become the Buddha. He overcame the personal struggled, he wrestled with his own intent, the evil demon Mara and became enlightened. Jesus spend 40 days in the wilderness and overcame temptation from Satan, all of which were focused intently on persuading him to give into his natural instincts. A young man born in a nomadic trading tribe in Mecca, became Muhammad when he led his followers to overcome the polytheistic rituals of their community. Though intense struggle, Mohammad received his first revelation and started what we now know as Islam.
Now I am not advocating that you go start your own religion today. However, I am acknowledging the Hero’s journey and I am asking you to recognize that this is a very human trait and part of our core existence. Yes, you need to learn to become your own hero. Joseph Campbell taught that the journey starts with a Call to Adventure, usually with some supernatural support, a mentor or helper will come to your aid and then eventually you will come to the great wrestle. The Abyss. The time when you have to overcome some great obstacle, which you will discover is rooted in your own soul. You will remember Luke entering into the dense jungle area, with Yoda as his guide and facing his greatest fear – which turned out to be his own failure. Little side note – George Lucas and Joseph Campbell were besties, which really explains a lot when you watch Star Wars.
So you will have some great revelation and overcome the Great Wrestle, the Abyss and then you will transform. Your name may not necessarily change but you will become a new person. You will rise up, and atone for all mistakes and you will receive some great gift. Then you will return back from the unknown to the known world and you will tell others of your great journey. You will have become a hero. Every great story seems to follow this pattern, it is inevitable. For some reason we are wired to follow this path and to worship, appreciate and adore those that have as well. We pay money to watch these stories, and tear up when we see people fall into the same pattern. I am not going to try to explain why. We can certainly try. We could claim there is one single source – an intelligent being that we are all tuned into and that explain this call that all of human society reflects. We could take a very scientific angle, and try to demonstrate that the very development of human consciousness required this sort of myth, because the myth created separation between the primal instinct and the formation of greater consciousness. Not going to go down that road.
Rather I am just going to accept this as a fact of life, and begin my own little hero’s journey. Write my own story if you will. Use the power of innate human consciousness to drive my own success. I have no expectation to reach the levels of the great ones, but hey, if I can utilize the power of this concept to help me overcome my desire to eat cookies – then I am going to use it!!
So I will be my own Luke. I will find the force. I will be my own Neo, I will take the correct pill and deal with the real world. I will find what it is that I need to wrestle with the most, have that Great Wrestle and fall into the abyss and like Gandalf the Grey rise up from my defeat of the Balrog and become The White Rider. I am the author, editor, publisher, and reader of my own Hero story. Time to start playing the role of the Hero in my own life. Time to engage the enemy and overcome. I will finally defeat the Cookie Monster (embarrassed to say that I was afraid of the Cookie Monster when I was a child, but now that I am older that has taken on a weird, ironic new meaning).
Guy’s Arch Enemy
So I will embark today on seeking the unobtainable. The impossible. The nirvana, the heavens, perhaps even the One Ring. I will find out what is in my way and what the Great Abyss is that I need to cross and take it head on and relish in the struggle and know that one day, I will rise up out of the ashes and transform into a better person. Which leads me to my memorized quote for today:
“Unattainable goals appeal to heroes” – Ray Dalio
So go be your own hero today.
Guy Reams (456)
57 Days Left to 1st Marathon
365 Alumni
