Embark on Your Hero's Journey

The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek ~ Joseph Campbell

"I am a Life Coach"

I used to think that sounded corny.

I resisted the call for years. I found every excuse in the book to not become a Life Coach. Meanwhile I kept searching for my purpose, knowing there had to be more to life that what I was doing.

It's interesting how that works...quite often the exact thing we run from is the exact thing we need to run toward. But we resist because it is scary; it leads to the great unknown. It requires vulnerability, courage, strength, and hard work.

Joseph Campbell, who famously wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces, structured "The Hero's Journey", a set of steps that almost every mythological hero follows on their adventure.

At a very high level, this is what the journey looks like. Many movies and books throughout history and across cultures follow this pattern. 

1. Ordinary World - our "hero" is an ordinary person living life in their ordinary world 
2. Call to Adventure - our hero is presented with a problem, challenge or adventure 
3. Refusal of the Call - our hero is reluctant, this is the threshold of adventure, he or she will face a great fear and is very reluctant
4. Meeting a Mentor - a wise person may arrive to instill motivation; someone who has been there. This person can only go so far, our hero must face the unknown by his or herself
5. Crossing the Threshold - our hero enters the unknown and passes the first threshold, the journey begins, the commitment is made to venture into the special  world
6. Tests, Allies, Enemies - our hero must undergo tests and trials, meet allies who will assist on the journey, and encounter resistance from others
7. Approach the Innermost Cave - inside lies our hero's biggest fears, our hero faces doubts, takes time to reflect
8. Ordeal, Death & Rebirth - our hero must face their greatest fear and draw upon experience and skills, at this point everything is put on the line, our hero does not know if he or she will succeed or fail
9. Seizing the Prize - our hero survives the ordeal, they killed the dragon. The reward is upon them, the treasure they came for is theirs
10. The Road Back - our hero must return back to the ordinary world with the reward, he or she must reconcile with how the experience has changed them
11. The Resurrection - our hero emerges from the special world, transformed, back into the ordinary world, he or she must come to grips with lessons learned
12. Return with Elixir - the entire journey is meaningless without the reward our hero brings back. It can be anything from new knowledge and wisdom, a treasure to share, love, freedom, etc. 

Interestingly, we can transfer this to our own lives, not everyone will follow every step in every order but the basic premise is the same. 

For me, I spent years in my "ordinary world". I knew I wanted more but was afraid to shake things up. What if I failed? I was not ready to face vulnerability, criticism, or failure.

Eventually I took the plunge and accepted the call. I found a mentor and a whole new tribe. But they could only take me so far. I met with resistance (within myself and from others), but I also found many allies. I faced my battles and came out transformed. It took a lot of work but life is so much better now.

I returned from the journey with my own special medicine to share. I now help people navigate their own Hero's Journey. I discovered how to use my intuition, insight, and magic to help other people. 

I used to be afraid to call myself a coach. I had to take baby steps to put it out there. I tested the waters by only putting my toe in, then my foot, then waded in to my waist. 

I now proudly state with confidence what I do, I help people Unshackle their Soul.

My work doesn't speak to everyone, it isn't for everyone. 

My work is for those who know, or at least suspect they are not living their truth. They want something more and they are willing to show up, be vulnerable, and step into their Hero's Journey. 

When they come out the other side, back to their ordinary world, they have their own unique elixir to share. The one they worked hard to retrieve. 

So many magical things have happened since I started my adventure, I can say FOR SURE, when you accept your call to action, take your hero's journey and come through the other side, the transformation is so worth it.

Hit me up if you want a free consultation to see if Life Coaching is right for you.

​We must be willing to get rid of the life we planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. ~ Joseph Campbell