HEROS JOURNEY

HOW TO E X PERIENCE A
A ND BECOME THE HERO OF YOUR OW N LIFE STORY
JEREMI A H MILLER

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What if I told you that there is a formula to

living a heroic life?
What if there was a basic framework, a roadmap
that anybody could follow in order to become
the hero of their own life story?
In the 1940s, mythologist Joseph Campbell discovered that heroic myths from every culture are
essentially the same story. He discovered a pattern in any story in which an ordinary person
accomplishes something heroic. Whether it is the Greek tales of Odysseuss return home from the
Trojan war or the life of Siddhartha Gautama, who attained enlightenment and founded Buddhism,
these stories follow the same set of steps that Campbell dubbed the Heros Journey.
Even if youve never heard the term Heros Journey before, the story will sound familiar. It has
been used by modern screenwriters and other storytellers in popular culture today as a template
for some of our most popular stories: Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, Rocky, and Harry Potter all
follow the Heros Journey blueprint.
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It goes like this:

At the beginning of the story, we are introduced to a normal guy (or girl) living a normal life
in the Ordinary World. Then, the inciting incident happens and he has the opportunity
to do something different, to pursue a purpose bigger than himself. Initially, he refuses this
Call to Adventure because its scary and would mean leaving the comfort and safety of
his normal life for some unknown or unfamiliar territory.
The ordinary guy Meets a Mentor who provides the encouragement and guidance he needs to
finally accept his Call to Adventure, Cross the Threshold and leave the Ordinary World behind.
As soon as he commits to this new path, he is immediately beset by trials and tribulations the
likes of which he has never experienced before. As he walks this Road of Trials, he gathers a
band of allies and faces his challenges, some of which he fails but all of which make him stronger.
Eventually, his journey reaches its climax when he faces his greatest obstacle, which he defeats
with his newfound skills and strength. The hero Grabs the Prize he came for and makes a
hasty retreat back to the safety of the Ordinary World. He Returns with the Treasure, resumes
his normal life a changed man and shares the spoils of his quest with humanity.
This pattern is present in every great heroic story. The details vary, but the pattern is consistent.

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The hero may be a young girl, a computer geek, or a cat. Their Call to Adventure may be epic,
like putting an end to slavery, or common, like leading their wrestling team to its first league
championship. It may take a lifetime to complete the quest or just a few days.
Regardless of the specifics, the hero must always sacrifice something of himself or herself in
order to succeed. The Heros Journey is ultimately a story of personal transformation.
An ordinary person becomes stronger than he thought possible in order to achieve a purpose
that is bigger than him.
And so it is in your life. In order to achieve anything significantly meaningful, you must embark
on your own Heros Journey.

Regardless of the specifics, the hero must always sacrifice

something of himself or herself in order to succeed. The Heros
Journey is ultimately a story of personal transformation.
And so it is in your life.

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Every Heros Journey Is the Same

Each Heros Journey includes seven stages:
1. Ordinary World
2. Call to Adventure
3. Meeting the Mentor
4. Crossing the Threshold
5. Road of Trials
6. Seizing the Prize
7. Return with the Treasure
Every journey requires the hero to make substantial sacrifices in order to achieve his goal.
The journey demands significant personal transformation during which the hero learns
some vital truth about himself and confronts what scares him most.

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Every New Heros Journey is Unique

What motivated the hero on his last journey may not be in play now. The dangers and obstacles
that lie ahead arent the same tests the hero has been through before. The stakes will be
different and so will the costs. The skills and the allies that have helped the hero in the past
wont be enough to see him through this time.

5 Things Every Hero Needs

Because the Heros Journey contains the road map for any great accomplishment, it is predictive.
We can apply the lessons from past Heros Journeys to the upcoming quest. Because of this
predictability, we have been able to identify the five things every hero needs in order to successfully complete their quest. Do you have all five?

1. PURPOSE | A heros journey cant begin until he finds his purpose or until a purpose finds
him. And that purpose can only be fulfilled when a Hero accepts their Call to Adventure.
The Call to Adventure is at the beginning of the Heros Journey because its the trigger. Its the
event that causes the ordinary person to realize he may be meant for a greater purpose.
Rocky Balboas call to adventure was when Apollo Creed, the reigning heavyweight champion

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of the world, offered him a title fight. Abraham Lincolns call to adventure was when the
fledgling Republican Party offered him the presidential nomination. Martin Luther Kings
Call to Adventure was when he agreed to lead the bus boycott in Montgomery.
The Call to Adventure may be obvious or vague; it may be epic, like curing cancer, or more
commonplace, like graduating from college. There are only two criteria: it must be a purpose
that is bigger than you, and it must make you at least a little scared or uncomfortable.
If you arent sure of your purpose, answering these questions can help you figure it out:
What injustice in the world are you passionate about righting?
What skills or talents do you have that can make a difference in the lives of others?
What are the stories you want people to tell about you after youre dead and gone?
What is the thing that you want to do but have been avoiding out of fear or uncertainty?

A heros journey cant begin until he finds his purpose

or until a purpose finds him.

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If you still arent sure about your Call to Adventure, there is another way to reveal it. Go and find
someone who is already on their Heros Journey, become their ally and do whatever you can
to help them. If you spend enough time around people who have already answered their Calls
to Adventure, you will eventually find yours.

2. ALLIES | Imagine if Frodo didnt have Gandalf, if Luke Skywalker didnt have Han Solo,
or if Steve Jobs didnt have The Woz.
There has never been a hero able to do it all by himself. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.
People often fail to achieve their goals because they dont have the support of the right allies.
If your Call to Adventure is sufficiently meaningful, your Road of Trials will be brutal. You
will fail along the way, and you will need the encouragement and support of people who believe
in you and your purpose.
Here are four types of Allies that will play key roles in your heros journey:
1. The Mentor: This allys Journey has is over. This is somebody who has already achieved the
goals you have set for yourself or has accomplished their own big, scary goals. The Mentor
provides you with knowledge and instruction. Without the Mentor, that knowledge would
come to you only through a series of time-consuming failures and tough learning experiences.

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2. The Peer: This ally is on their own heros journey. This is somebody who is passionately
pursuing their own goals. If you are an entrepreneur launching a start-up, you would
find Peers at other start-ups in your industry or a similar industry. The Peer offers valuable
insights and is someone you can share with and compare experiences with. Together,
you can discuss what is working, and what isnt.
3. The Promoter: This ally is an influencer who loves to say good things about you behind
your back. This is somebody who knows all the right people, who has a large audience,
and who is a raving fan of you and your purpose. From the Promoter you gain social proof,
credibility, and connections.
4. The Technician: This ally fills a vital gap in your skill set. If you are an engineering wiz,
you may need an ally who can market your product. If you are the visionary, you are
going to need an ally who can run the day-to-day operations. From the Technician, you gain
skills that compliment rather than duplicate your own.

3. SKILLS | Imagine Braveheart without his courage, Luke Skywalker without The Force, or
Martin Luther King without his oratory ability. Each of these heroes relied on skills in order
to free Scotland, defeat the Empire, and champion civil rights. The hero lives and dies by his
skills. When he uses his skills, the hero is in his zone and unstoppable.
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And so it is with you. In order for you to complete your Heros Journey and accomplish your goal,
you must strengthen your skills.
There are two categories of skills you need:
Technical Skills are those that allow you to do the work you need to do in order to succeed.
If your heros journey is about becoming a champion bodybuilder, your technical skills will be
things like posing, nutrition, supplementation, weight lifting, etc. If your heros journey is a
quest to transform the way that people connect with their friends online, your technical skills will
be things like programming, design, raising venture capital, and marketing.
General Skills are skills that allow you to be successful regardless of your specific Heros Journey.
General skills consist of leadership skills, time management skills, and communication skills.
Each of what I call the nine heroic virtues is a general skill: joy, discipline, curiosity, humility,
courage, faith, forgiveness, responsibility, and sacrifice. These are the skills and virtues that
set you apart from other people attempting the same goal as you.

In order for you to complete your Heros Journey and

accomplish your goal, you must strengthen your skills.

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4. CHALLENGES | Anybody who has ever changed the world or achieved greatness started out
as an ordinary person just like you and me.
At the beginning of his journey, he wasnt the hero he needed to be in order to reach his goal.
He wasnt strong enough, smart enough, or wise enough. It was the journey itself that transformed him from the person he was into the hero he needed to become.
Our journey is the same. The challenges, struggles and epiphanies we experience along the way
transform us from the ordinary person we are into the hero we need to be. The anxiety and
excitement of accepting your Call to Adventure, the counsel of your Mentor, and the sacrifices
you make on the Road of Trials are vital and will slowly burn off your impurities, harden your
resolve, and forge you into a hero.
Without sufficient challenges, you will remain weak, scared, and naive. Are you seeking out
the challenges that you need?

5. INSPIRATION | In working towards his goal, the hero experiences failurerepeatedly.

He occasionally gives in to his fears and he doubts his ability to persevere. He questions
his sanity for even accepting the Call to Adventure in the first place. At times, he feels alone,
weak, and scared.

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Without sources of encouragement and inspiration, your fear and doubt will win. Although your
allies are valuable sources of encouragement, they arent enough. You also need to look for
inspiration outside of yourself and your circle. You must search for stories and examples of other
people and their Heroic Journeys.
Your inspiration might take the form of music, art, spirituality, stories of triumph and redemption,
or anything else that reminds you that what you are doing is worthwhile and to not give up.
You can become the person you want to be. You can live the life you want to live. The path is
difficult, but thats ok, its supposed to be. Things in life are either easy or important, but
not often both.
If you accept your Call to Adventure, you will be in good company. Every hero from Siddhartha
to Michael Jordan has relied on their Purpose, Allies, Skills, Challenges, and Inspiration to help
them complete their journey and achieve their goals.
Now you know their secret. Go do something about it.

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Info
ABOUT THE AUTHOR | Jeremiah Millers goal is to save the world through better leadership.

He started his company, Forging Leaders, because he believes that authentic leadership is the solution
to the most pressing problems in our society and our lives. He believes each of our four foundational
institutions: family, business, religion, and politics, is suffering from a leadership crisis, and hes
here to do something about it. He works with organizations of all sizes, from sole proprietorships
to Fortune 500 companies. His clients are typically men and women between the ages of 30 and
60 who hold leadership positions within their organizations. In addition to one-on-one and group
coaching, he facilitates workshops and gives presentations on leadership development, creating
remarkable company culture, employee motivation, and effective communication.

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This document was created on March 12, 2014 and is based on the best information available at that time.
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