Continuing the Hero’s Journey: The Call to Adventure
Last week, I wrote a blog post explaining Joseph Campbell’s concept of the Hero’s Journey and described the first phase, the Ordinary World, in which the protagonist may feel stuck in a set of unfavorable, stagnant conditions. The next step is the Call to Adventure, in which the hero is prompted to leave the ordinary world behind and set off on a journey. What happens after that may seem simple—of course, the hero will answer the call. There can be no Hero’s Journey if the hero never makes the decision to leave the Ordinary World.
However, this stage is not always as straightforward as it may sound. The Call to Adventure may be very different for different people. Sometimes it appears as a clearly exciting opportunity, but at other times, it can be more complicated. Sometimes, it may be an urgent problem that the hero must seek a way to solve to avoid potentially horrible consequences. For example, a student athlete may be told that they need to improve their grades or risk losing their spot on the team. This hero may not see a clear path forward, despite experiencing pressure to make a change.
In this case, the hero will need to figure out what they should do next. They must define the objective of their Hero’s Journey. This objective should include what they hope to accomplish and how they aim to do so. In this example, the hero’s objective might be to improve their grades by spending more time studying difficult subjects.
Many people struggle to set clear, manageable objectives. If you are stuck at this stage of your Hero’s Journey, don’t worry. The VAST Journey app, currently in development, will help you set reasonable goals and provide you with clear Rules for Success.
At this point, many people experience self-doubt and/or fear of the unknown. They may hesitate to leave the world they know, even though they may experience serious consequences or miss a valuable opportunity if they do not act. While the conditions in the Ordinary World are often unsatisfactory, the protagonist may feel as if they are being forced out of their comfort zone by the Call to Adventure. Sometimes, they may be tempted to ignore a problem in the hopes that someone else will step up to solve it. For instance, you may think you do not have the power to create the kind of widespread change needed to reduce littering and pollution in your community. However, if everyone waits for someone else to tackle the problem, the problem will never be solved. Someone needs to step up to the challenge, and that person can be you.
Even an exciting opportunity such as studying abroad, getting married, buying a house, or having a child, can be intimidating. You may feel as if you aren’t ready for it.
It’s important to remember that you do not have to face your challenge alone. If you’re feeling conflicted about the path ahead, it may help to reach out to a trusted ally. Each person’s Hero’s Journey is unique, and the stages do not necessarily occur in the same order for everyone. Sometimes, the Call to Adventure overlaps with another stage, the Meeting with the Mentor (which I will discuss in more detail in a separate blog post). You may find that consulting with a trusted supporter may help you overcome fear and feel more prepared for your journey.
Thankfully, experiencing hesitation does not mean that you cannot be the hero of your own story. All heroes experience moments where their progress stalls. In fact, this moment of hesitation you experience when you first receive a Call to Adventure is its own stage of the Hero’s Journey: The Refusal of the Call. What you choose to do at this stage will make the difference in determining whether you embark on your journey or remain in the Ordinary World.
Self-reflection is crucial here. Firstly, try to identify the reason why you are hesitating. You may refuse the Call to Adventure because you are worried that you may fail. You may be even more worried about the potential consequences that you may experience if you do fail. These feelings are natural. To overcome them, it is important to consider why the goal you set is important to you in the first place. Which do you think would be worse: the potential consequences of failure or the potential consequences of inaction? Do the potential benefits outweigh the risks? Only you can decide for yourself and determine whether to set out on your Hero’s Journey.
Like I mentioned in my previous blog post, an important part of the Hero’s Journey is embracing transformational change. Each time that you overcome an obstacle, including moments of doubt and hesitation, you will experience personal growth. A strong desire for change will motivate you to keep going, even when the journey seems difficult or scary.
If you’re still nervous even after reaffirming your resolve, that’s okay too. The next stage of the Hero’s Journey is Meeting with the Mentor, which I will discuss in the next post. In this stage, as I mentioned earlier, you’ll prepare to set out on your journey by consulting with an experienced ally who can give you advice and help you become more confident about the journey ahead.
Come back next week to continue this series with me! In the meantime, join our mailing list so that you can receive our monthly newsletters, which will be sent out on the 15th.