Victim Stories vs. Hero’s Journey
Do the stories you tell yourself have you heroically overcoming challenges and building strengths along the way? Or, when things don’t go as planned, do you blame outside forces, limiting your responsibility for any failings?
We all want to find success and happiness, but sometimes, this chase does more harm than good. To ease short-term pain or discomfort, we may tell ourselves stories that act as roadblocks between us and our ideal lives.
Subconscious programming shapes how we perceive the world and frames the stories we tell ourselves. It acts as a filter that either narrows or broadens the aperture of our minds, profoundly influencing how we experience our circumstances.
Victim Stories cast our challenges as immovable barriers that inevitably limit our lives, while our Hero’s Journey reframes struggles as the opportunities for growth that have led us to this magnificent moment. The stories we tell ourselves have a profound impact on how we experience our lives.
We choose our stories. Let’s choose wisely.
The Hero’s Journey Framework
You probably learned about The Hero’s Journey in your high school English classes and, if you were anything like me, you wondered, “When am I going to use this?”
Well, it turns out we can all put Joseph Campbell’s storytelling framework to good use, even if you aren’t writing the next literary masterpiece or pitching a new film idea to George Lucas.
Here is a simple overview of The Hero’s Journey to remind us of its power and importance.
(1) The Call to Adventure
Every meaningful transformation begins with a call to step beyond our comfortable lives and expand to face a new calling. This can be triggered by external stimuli or internal realizations. Something awakens us to the truth that we can bring more, share more, be more.
(2) Crossing the Threshold
Joseph Campbell is often attributed the quote, “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” This truth often motivates us to move from our safe, comfortable life into one that challenges us to grow. This requires courage and commitment to embrace uncertainty, risk, and discomfort.
(3) Meeting Mentors and Facing Challenges
Crossing the threshold means we are entering a new territory. We must remain open to guides who appear along our journey. These may be mentors, coaches, or others who provide wisdom and support. To learn from these mentors, we must be vulnerable and willing to ask for help.
Challenges and setbacks are part of every growth story. They serve as tests that refine character and capabilities. Maintaining a growth mindset while embracing these challenges is essential.
(4) The Dark Night of the Soul
Progress never happens in a straight line. In this phase of our quest, we will face a period of deep struggle in which our doubts and fears are confronted. Often, this is the moment before a breakthrough.
Every time we face our fears, we become more. This is what catalyzes our never ending metamorphosis
(5) Transformation and Mastery
Overcoming progressive obstacles builds confidence, sharpens skills, and strengthens resilience. Each time we “face the dragon,” we emerge stronger, sharper and better equipped. Confidence is not gained through bluster, but by compounding our successes. This shift in identity catalyzes our expansion, helping us align more deeply with our vision.
(6) Return With the Elixir
The final stage of the journey is where we integrate these new aspects of our being. Our transformation is made manifest when we share our newfound wisdom, contribute our expanded gifts and engage our elevated capabilities to fulfill our higher purpose. Our elevated impact is what makes the journey so rewarding.
When you craft your personal hero’s journey, you reframe past challenges as essential growth catalysts rather than failures or setbacks. You redefine what you believe is possible for yourself, and the impact you can have on those around you.
I’d love to hear from you: what challenge in your life are you beginning to see as part of your own hero’s journey?