Good Morning, Spring!
Mmm! A cool, bright morning, the air filled with lots of different bird calls, and all around the birds are busy flying to their perches, or getting worms from the ground. In the distance, the steady, rapid drumming of a woodpecker drilling away. Suddenly, I notice a squirrel bounding zig-zag across a yard, then back to the shadows of some trees.
So much life I notice and absorb in just the couple minutes of sitting at this open window, when I pause to ground myself, and to connect with The Flow of The Universe, to open to creative inspiration.
The World seems to come alive – the birds and the squirrel, the songs and the drumming. But, I must recognize the Truth – it is I who awakens to the beauty, the music, the Life that is always flowing all around me.
Right on to that!
The Hero’s Journey is calling to me this morning. Let’s shed some light on it.
We are drawn to the story of the Hero for a number of reasons. First, it is a story of Triumph. We recognize success. Yay, success! We can dig that.
Second, it is a triumph of Truth. As we learn about our Hero, we understand the Truth guiding her journey, and we celebrate her Integrity.
Third, we are engrossed in the trials and tribulations on our Hero’s journey. And, there are always trials and tribulations. At least, in the tales we are drawn to.
It wouldn’t hold our attention if it was a story about a hero who was simply told his calling, he just accepted it, and then he went forward and easily executed it. Ho hum, right?
But, we travel along when we hear the saga of our Heroine, who is told of her destiny, but she can’t quite believe it. She then begins her mission, full of self-doubt and fears. We root for her as she faces her most-feared challenges, learning about herself, that she is more than she thought she was. We watch her drop the small version she’s always believed of herself, and transform, through exactly the challenges that she faces and overcomes. We delight in her realization that the mission she was called to and has battled through was really just the vehicle for her to discover her Real Self – her True Hero Nature.
Why are we pulled into these stories of the seemingly ordinary person who is called to a destiny, and on the difficult journey transforms into the hero needed; the hero s/he is destined to be?
We are drawn to these tales, because it rings the Bell of Truth inside us – who we are meant to be.
Our heroes aren’t just Frodo and Harry Potter, with their stories foretold. They aren’t just superheroes like Spiderman, The Hulk, or the Fantastic Four, who all had some life-altering accident that manifested their super-abilities.
We have heroes like Pooh – innocent, tender, and pure, whose life in the 100-acre wood is imperfect and full of different adventures that he journeys through with his True Hero Nature. It’s the ant in the “High Hopes” song, taking down rubber tree plants. It’s as pure and simple as The Little Engine That Could, whose act of heroism was to completely change the story he believed about himself, transforming himself from one who could not to one who could, and then did.
What captures our attention, and fascination, is the internal transformation we witness. Our hero is given the mission, and often the first thing she says is, “I can’t.” There’s typically some mentor or guide who tells her, simply, you have to.
In the midst of the journey, when things get tough, our hero states, “I don’t think I can do this.”
Even here, there’s begun a shift. She’s recognizing that she’s bumping up against what she believes about herself. She struggles, often failing, but is still pulled forward – problem-solving, scratching and clawing, and sometimes just resting, recuperating, and enjoying – steadily progressing on the journey.
We have the gift of being outside the story, and from our perspective we see her transformation – physically, mentally, and spiritually. We can also appreciate, though, that she does not easily recognize these changes in herself. She’s grown stronger in mind, body, and spirit; but, so too, the challenges she faces get tougher. So, to her, everything still just seems so difficult.
Yet, we see her getting closer and closer. We see her getting stronger and stronger. We hope for her and believe in her, even more than she believes in herself. We don’t know for certain, but we believe she can do it, even when she can’t see that success for herself.
We burst with jubilation when she ultimately does succeed. Even if the triumph has changed from what was originally intended. We feel deep satisfaction, because “Yes!” – This is the way the world is supposed to work.
And, it does. The birds out building nests and hunting worms. The woman going to work and feeding her family. Me, coaching and writing. And you. We are all heroes. These are our stories. Transform into the hero you are!
Today’s Prompt:
Write a paragraph each about two tough times in your life.
Then, write a second paragraph for each, describing how you recovered from that tough time, how you changed, and what you learned about yourself in the process.
Always moving forward, with your help, Dear Guides!
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