30 Jun Being the Hero in Our Ordinary Everyday Life
Last time, we talked about the healing power of witnessing the hero’s journey as shown in Larger-than-Life movies.
But, what about in ordinary everyday life?
Where is the hero’s path in that?
Who is a hero?
We often expect the word “hero” to only define a person who does some wildly heroic action. The man who races into a burning building to rescue the baby. Or, the woman who bravely climbs Mount Everest solo.
In fact, Merriam-Webster Dictionary heralds this very kind of image in its first three examples of the word, ‘hero’:
- “a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability;”
- “a brilliantly outstanding warrior;”
- “a person admired for achievements and noble qualities;”
So, the ‘Hero’s Journey’ only describes the path of someone behaving like a superhero, right?
Actually, my friend, if that is your expectation, you would be wrong.
Want to see a real-life example of the hero in a hero’s journey?
Just take a look in the mirror.
The ‘hero’ in the journey of life, actually, is the Every-man. Every-woman.
Joseph Campbell, world-renown mythologist, who coined the term, says so himself.
According to Campbell, a ‘hero’
is the “conscious vehicle” who shines through “a thousand faces,”
be they “butcher, jockey, or king.”
(Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces)
So, contrary to Merriam-Webster’s definition and our own cultural ideas of “hero,” to be on this universal path of a hero’s challenge does not require an audience or accolades for brilliant or valiant performance.
In fact, hero-ness does not lie in the public persona of the individual.
Even Merriam-Webster seems to acknowledge this. Its last example of a ‘hero‘ includes this description:
“One who shows great courage.”
That description is in line with Campbell’s.
He described the hero as one who has shown willingness to allow transformation to flow through their lives. And, in that path to have eventually embraced something larger than themselves.
When we look back on life and see the times when things were “hard,” like when we had to find a new way to live, or to recover, or to become a better version of ourselves, we can see traces of the hero’s trail right through that. And, as anyone who has gone through those hard challenges can attest: if one thing got us through, it was the courage to just keep on keepin’ on. That, dears, “shows great courage.”
So, yes, look in that mirror. There. Right there is a human who traveled the hero’s path at some time.
We’ll take a look together at a fun example of the hero’s journey in an ordinary everyday life experience as shown in an REM music video.
But, first, let’s do a recap of the Hero’s Journey:
It always begins with seeing the hero living their ordinary life.
They are unaware of an unseen challenge.
Or, they are stuck and unconscious, because zest has gone out of life, or never was realized in the first place.
Then, the hero receives a call:
Sometimes the call is loud:
A problem or crisis suddenly occurs. This might come in the form of a frightening health diagnosis, a major personal relationship crisis, or a significant work-related challenge.
Or, the call may be more subtle:
This may come in the form of their imagination, through urges and impulses or reflective thought.
Accepting the call, the hero begins the journey.
On this path to discover answers, clarity, and resolution from the initial problem, the hero will come face to face with their inner demons.
This is the reason many heroes initially refuse the journey.
Persistent refusal to enter this passage will leave the hero frustrated, dissatisfied with life, and feeling that life has little meaning.
The journey will bring forth from the hero new ways of living and being.
Along the way, the hero becomes aware that there are choices in their situation, when they previously assumed there was simply no alternative way to live.
Often, the hero must begin to act in ways different than they are accustomed to.
They will shed things that no longer work for them.
Roles and expectations that they had unquestionably taken on in their prior ‘ordinary’ life are viewed with new eyes.
Letting go of the beliefs that kept the hero acting only from ‘shoulds,’ and trapped in a rut is a common casualty in this passage.
The Hero’s Journey comes full circle, to benefit self and others.
Breaking free from imposed roles and expectations, the hero will be changed and begin to live in the most responsible way possible:
Becoming the author of their own life.
This will mean holding themselves accountable for choices and behaviors, no matter how unflattering.
The hero, now changed in some way, understands the need to address fears and inner demons as a goal for the highest good:
Becoming All We are Meant to be in Life.
Having accomplished the end of their journey, the hero returns home to gift the community with the gift that only they can bring.
See these concepts in living color:
REM’s Everybody Hurts music video beautifully illustrates an ‘ordinary man’ hero’s journey.
Watch it here]
In the video, Michael Stipe’s character is just a regular guy driving down the highway.
Suddenly, he finds obstacles in his path that slow him down. Until he is stuck—literally.
Stymied, he sits in traffic, bored.
Here he is, then, in the initial stages of the hero’s journey-in-development.
The call—-will he become aware of being stuck?
Will he answer the call, and choose to investigate different ways of navigating this?
Or, will he simply tolerate the situation and assume this is the only way to live?
If so, this would be the ‘refusal of The Call.’
The camera zooms out. We see that he is not alone in the negative feelings he is experiencing. His current experience is a universal one—
Everybody Hurts.
We see the every-woman, the every-man, the every-child show a vast array of human emotions and of feeling stuck with those feelings.
As the music tempo picks up, we see our hero emerge from his stalled vehicle.
Answering ‘The Call’ of the journey, he becomes fully aware of his emotions. And, witnesses that others are on similar roads.
He feels he is “not alone.”
He encourages himself to “not give up.”
As this hero’s journey blossoms, we see him move from silence to embodying his voice.
The hero brings his gift of singing and upliftment through music to his community—those humans also stuck all around him.
When he shares the gift that-only-he-can-bring to his world, we see that those around him likewise become liberated–bringing the hero’s journey full circle. .
Did you watch it?
Were you moved? (“I’m not crying, you’re crying!”)
If so, that’s the resonance of the familiar hero’s journey rippling through you.
What’s your favorite movie, book, song, or story that highlights the hero’s journey?
Let me know in the comments below!
Disclaimer: Although the content here relates to well-being, it does not constitute the practice of psychology and is not designed to be a replacement for receiving professional mental health advice or services. Although medical and health information may be presented, it does not constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for proper medical advice or care. The information is designed solely to be educational for those who might be interested in the subject matter. Use this information as you see fit, and at your own risk. We recommend consulting a qualified mental health professional to better understand the most appropriate actions for the reader to take for their own unique circumstances, as appropriate.
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