You Are the Hero: The Moment That Shatters Your Ordinary World

We’ve had this fight before, you think, cutting off mid-argument with your partner as you leave the house to head to work. You arrive still irritated and dreading the day ahead. Milking out that final minute or two of parking lot peace, you wrestle with the impulse to drive off and never look back. The day has just begun, but more than once, you’ve caught yourself thinking the same repetitive thought: I am so. Fucking. Done. 

Welcome to the Call. 

In the previous post, we left off with you, the hero, in a blissful state of ignorance. The ordinary world with its comforting lather, rinse, repeat rhythm had soothed you into a stupor. But not anymore. Your familiar world is shifting. And a permeating dissatisfaction has already begun to infiltrate your perfectly curated life. The call to adventure has arrived at your doorstep. 

The call is a disruption of the status quo. The moment that shatters your Ordinary World. It can arrive in a variety of ways and, more often than not, is entirely unwelcome. Change is always inconvenient. However, a key component of recognizing a call to adventure is that it is usually undeniable. Harkening back to one of our previous cinematic examples, The Lord of the Rings, the 'One Ring' could not stay in the Shire. Frodo had to leave, or the agents of Mordor would be upon them. His call to adventure could not be ignored. You, on the other hand, may be fed up with the way things have been, or some outside force, such as a mass lay-off at your company or a separation from your long-term partner, shakes the foundation of your life. Either way, you are being presented with a choice that will alter the course of your life forever. 

To change or not to change, that is the question. 

You may have noticed the repetitive signs while steeped in the ordinary world. For example, the same fight with your partner that never gets resolved, the same aches and pains in your body that only increase over time, or the same tired conversation with your co-worker where you complain about that one work issue that management never addresses. This type of calling starts subtly but builds over time until it becomes so unbearable that you make a quick and often impulsive change. You quit, you break up, you radically change your ways. 

More interestingly, the call may also arrive in the form of temptation. For Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger, the call to adventure is the siren song of the glory of war. He longs for the battlefield. His soul yearns for heroism. 

What does your soul yearn for? 

In our modern society, we have an insightful tool that often goes unnoticed. Most fail to realize that the addictive quality of their social media feed is deeply rooted in psychology. In fact, if you pay close attention, you can use it to your advantage by noticing what type of content is showing up on your feed. Are you seeing travel videos that show exotic locations? Fitness bros in the gym? Maybe you follow an account of a couple that makes funny videos playing pranks on one another? Whatever it is, ask yourself, what about this is calling to me? Perhaps your soul is longing to see the world, improve your health, or find a romantic partner who brings a sense of playfulness back into your life? This is a potential signpost to your destiny. You are meant to move towards what you envy. Desire is a powerful motivator. 

“Envy occurs when we want something someone else has.” - Brene Brown

When that deep ache of desire blooms in your chest, it is not telling you to take what someone else has but simply pointing out the direction to which you should point your feet. For example, you see your friend in a healthy, loving relationship. Does that mean you covet his specific girlfriend? No. But it may mean that you envy the love and connection he is receiving from said girlfriend. So, the question then remains, what do you need to change to attract a loving relationship, too? What is he doing, or what skills does he possess that you do not? It’s not about taking what he has, but more about becoming the version of yourself that can have that too. This is an example of a ‘herald.’ 

A herald is a person or situation that issues the call. This archetype arrives to hold up a mirror and highlight what is no longer working in your life, such as the buddy with the girlfriend. His happy relationship emphasizes your loneliness or dysfunctional partnership. The herald challenges your status quo by pointing out all the ways your life is out of balance. They could arrive as a mentor, friend, parent, or random stranger on the street. Either way, they will reveal to you the thing that you’ve been avoiding. They highlight the necessary changes you will need to complete to obtain the object of your desire. In The Matrix, Trinity plays this pivotal role in Neo’s journey. She is the herald of change who calls him to adventure and ultimately leads him to Morpheus. 

The herald unearths your buried pain points and brings them to your awareness. They show you what needs to change and, therefore, play a pivotal role in the call. You cannot change what you cannot see. If you are unaware that your relationship is dysfunctional, that your job is holding you back from accomplishing your dreams, or that your diet is slowly ruining your health, you cannot move towards change. The problem must first be brought to your attention. It must move from your subconscious into your conscious awareness. But, be warned, once the problem is known, it cannot be unknown. 

Perhaps you have lost something dear to you, got fed up with the way things have been, or heard the siren song of your soul. Maybe a fateful encounter tilted your world off its axis? Either way, the call has been issued, and an inevitable choice will need to be made: to change or not to change. 

Will you answer the call or refuse its summons? 

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