Allies, Trials and Challenges of The Hero’s Journey

            In our initial call to adventure, we are called to strive toward the highest aspirations of ourselves to become the hero we have only dreamed of. When we meet our mentor, he inspires us to go beyond even our own preconceived notions and imaginations. Just as the valor that has brought our people thus far seems almost inconceivable, that which we are truly capable of can go beyond even that.

            The mentor reminds us that though we may aim for the moon, we will at least fall among the stars. And so we are driven to fix our gaze even higher, surpassing our supposed pinnacles to heights we have yet to imagine.

            This reaching is not done in vain under the auspices of fame and glory, but with the understanding that just as the lunges taken by those that have gone before us have propelled us further along, so will our leaps inspire those we love and for whom we fight to follow in the wake of our own victories and yet surpass us. The hero is not concerned solely in his own progress, but in the service it will offer to those who depend upon him and those who follow after.

                        Patanjali said that when you set out with an intention, unseen forces will rise to your aid. Thus, as the hero embarks upon his quest, forces rise to help him on his way. In our journeys toward excellence, we will meet with allies to stand beside us, trials to sharpen us, and challenges to strengthen us.

            Throughout our journeys, we will stumble upon a myriad of forces, seen and unseen. Though some may be seen as obstacles that would deter us from our endeavor, we must remain steadfast in the knowledge that we are the heroes of our stories and are fated with victory over every challenge that stands before us. For there truly are no obstacles to achieving our fate, but only challenges which guide the way there.

Furthermore, though the allies that would stand with us may offer to help us to carry our load, let us still not forget our place in our own story, neither to hand off our burden to them or to take theirs upon ourselves. For just as you are living you own mythology, each ally you meet must also rise to the level of his own hero, whether conscious of the fact or not.

When you make the commitment to become your own hero and strive to go beyond even your own imaginings of what that entails, you will begin to hear the echoes of the calls that go out to those you meet along the way. In the new mythology, there is the understanding that the same essence of valor that has extended throughout time and tradition, through the stories of heroes past, is open to each and every one of us.

With the realization that each of the allies that accompany us on our journey, for however long they hold our company, are on their own hero’s journey, we find one of our greatest resources. To cultivate this resource, it becomes our simple imperative to inspire our fellow aspirants to reaching beyond the length of their capabilities. In so doing, they in turn inspire others and the personal mythology we are developing becomes a social paradigm, making our rise to heroism all the more glorious because it is shared.