The Hero's Journey Isn't Someone Else's Story

The Hero’s Journey.

A common plot in movies and in tales throughout the world… we are always enthralled by it even though it pops up over and over and over again. Different story. Different characters. Same plot.

Our hero (who doesn’t know they are one yet) goes on an adventure he or she was not expecting or even wanting. Some kind of crisis or protagonist comes along and makes things exceedingly difficult along the journey - sometimes to the point where it doesn’t seem like there is any possible way out. Then, when things are at the end of their rope, our hero comes to a sudden realization about himself or herself. Empowered with this knowledge, our hero saves the day (or the world) and returns home, a changed (or transformed) person.

There is a Sufi poem (4500 lines long) called “The Conference of the Birds.” In the poem, there are hundreds of thousands of birds and in the midst of them all they find a gold feather. They all take a look at themselves and around themselves - all breeds of birds and about every color imaginable - and discover that not one of them has a gold feather. They decide whatever bird this feather came from must be the greatest bird of all time - it must be a King. And they need a King.

A longing and yearning starts to burn within them. They decide to go on a journey to find this King, which they named the Simorhg. Imagine 300,000 birds of all shapes, sizes, breeds, and colors taking flight, riding on something similar to a magic carpet throughout the air to the point it would cast a great shadow on the land they were traveling over.

Throughout their journey they began to encounter trials and hardships, such as a monumental storm. Some birds die. Some of those who make it through the storm start to question whether such a bird as the Simorhg actually existed. With every ensuing challenge, others start to murmur and say the journey isn’t worth the cost. One by one birds start to give up the quest until only 30 birds out of 300,000 are left to discover the Simorhg, the great golden bird… which turns out to be a phoenix. He can burn down to ashes and be reborn from them. And, even further, as they look deep inside themselves they see they, too, have had a golden feather within them all along. They can do the same.

The poem has much more to it, but as we have discussed the underlying theme inside of it we were impressed to share a few insights we had with you!

First, the Longing for Something Great

There seems to be a yearning inside most humans that calls to them. We seek to answer the call of this yearning by searching and acquiring. We look for money as an answer to this call or some kind of status or the perfect relationship. But it doesn’t quite seem to fulfill us in that deep, deep place inside us where it resides. Who are we? Why are we here? We aren’t quite sure but we long to find answers.

Second, the Journey and Dance with Adversity

So we journey through life and sure enough… challenges, trials, and tribulations pull the rug out from under our feet and smack us face down onto the floor. We get hurt, sometimes when it is our fault and sometimes when it isn’t. Our hearts are broken. Some of us don’t make it. Those who do start to question this life and start to give up on themselves or those around them. They give up on the grand journey of the yearning within and go back to simply pushing through their day-to-day.

Third, the Reframing to Empowerment and the Discovery

Those who keep pushing forward continue to face challenges, but with each one they start to come to an understanding. They realize their journey has happened for them instead of to them because what they discover is a strength and power they didn’t know existed. They find the greatness they didn’t know was there and the long yearning inside of them is answered.

Our Final Thoughts

There’s a reason why we all get so wrapped up in the hero’s journey over and over again. Because it’s our journey, too.

We all are on a journey through life, just like the birds, to discover ourselves. If the 30 birds didn’t stick it through and conquer their struggles and challenges to make it all the way to the Simorgh, they never would have found the power within themselves. They never would have been able to see the greatness that was within them all along… and they would never have had the opportunity to realize that in every phase of life, no matter how broken, how hurt, how horrible it has been… you can resurrect yourself and come back again. Not the same, but better. Changed, transformed, wiser, stronger, more beautiful than you were before.

Life Updates!

• Friday found us traveling to Las Vegas for our daughter’s Vegas wedding reception. Her new husband’s family is from Las Vegas so they decided to throw a reception there as well! We plan on having way too much fun with the reception and a little school shopping with Xander!

• We put the finishing touches on our presentation for FHL International!! We are going to talk about how to live an outlier life - a life that is so good it shocks even YOU that you get to live it. We’re not just sayin’ it to say it here people - it’s real. Grab your ticket if you haven’t yet right here and join us! It’s gonna’ be EPIC!

• Oh oh! Gotta’ give an update on the Twenty-one Pilots concert!! The problem is… there just aren’t any words to express just how INSANELY awesome it was. Tyler and Josh never disappoint. The concert was off-the-charts and spending time with the fam there was next level. Oh - and did we mention we had seats in the first and second row? No? Oh - okay. We won’t mention that. Hehe.