The Hero’s Journey: Meeting with the Mentor
In my last two blog posts, I began breaking down the Hero’s Journey monomyth and explaining how it can be used as a framework for overcoming real-world challenges. In the first post in this series, I discussed the Ordinary World, the stagnant state of dissatisfaction the hero may feel like they are stuck in when the story first begins. In the second one, I explored the Call to Adventure, the stage where a significant event prompts the hero to begin considering what change they want to make. The next stage of the Hero’s Journey is the Meeting with the Mentor, in which the hero consults with a trusted ally to reaffirm their resolve, gain important knowledge, and develop any character traits and skills needed for the journey ahead before setting out.
We all have people we look up to and trust as mentors. This person might be a parent/guardian, a teacher, a coach, a therapist, or someone else you trust completely. This mentor, who typically has much more experience than the hero, can offer advice and provide support in a difficult situation. For example, if you are dealing with a toxic relationship, your mentor may be able to help you reflect on what you want out of a relationship and decide whether to end things.
As I mentioned in the last blog post, if you are facing a difficult challenge, you may not feel like you are capable of being a hero. You may think that you lack the skills or character traits required to be one. However, your skills and character traits are not set in stone. You can grow and change if you put in the effort to do so. Skills can be gained, and character traits can be developed. You can achieve this kind of transformational change by exposing yourself to new information, ideas, and perspectives. Your mentor can provide helpful insight in this regard.
That said, you are still the hero of your own story. Your mentor cannot create transformational change for you. To meet the goal that you established during the Call to Adventure, you must have a strong desire to achieve change on your own. Your mentor can only guide and support you. Their role is to help you prepare and become more confident about the journey ahead.
If you aren’t currently facing a challenge yourself, you might know someone else who is. In that case, you may play the role of the mentor for that person. In that case, it is important to keep in mind that the Hero’s Journey is an experience of self-discovery and growth. At this early stage of their journey, the hero you are mentoring may not be ready or willing to take your advice. Your guidance and support will be most helpful to them if you meet them at a level that is just outside their comfort zone. For example, a teenager who struggles with social anxiety will likely refuse your advice if you suggest that they practice approaching strangers and introducing themselves. Instead, it may be more helpful to suggest they practice interacting with others anonymously on an internet forum that is related to a topic they find interesting.
If you’re not sure what next step would be best for your hero, you can benefit from the systems being developed within the VAST Journey app. This app will help you break down the hero’s challenge into more manageable steps and guide them through the process of overcoming it using helpful resources developed and curated by the In-Formation team.
Once the hero (whether that is you or your mentee) is ready to proceed, the time will come for the next stage of the Hero’s Journey: Crossing the Threshold. At this point, the hero sets out on their journey, leaving behind the Ordinary World and entering a set of new conditions (also known as the Special World) for the first time. In some cases, this might be a literal step across a threshold, such as going to work on the first day of a new job. In other situations, it might be figurative, such as starting a daily exercise regimen.
This stage of the Hero’s Journey may also include an encounter with the first major obstacle in the Special World, known as a Threshold Guardian. For a person who just started a new job, this Threshold Guardian may be a difficult task they don’t know how to handle. For a person who just started a new exercise regimen, it may be a feeling of complete exhaustion that makes them think, How can I possibly do this again every day? When faced with a Threshold Guardian, the hero may be tempted to give up, even though their journey has just begun.
At times like these, the mentor can continue to offer support and hold the hero accountable for meeting the goals they have set. The mentor can sympathize with the hero’s feelings while also encouraging them to persevere despite the setback.
Facing and overcoming Threshold Guardians is crucial for the hero’s growth. By engaging with a difficult task, a person who started a new job will become better prepared for similar tasks going forward. By pushing through their exhaustion, a person who started a new exercise regimen will develop stamina and become physically and mentally stronger. With time and effort, these overwhelming Threshold Guardians will cease to be significant obstacles.
You will continue to face new tests and challenges throughout the Hero’s Journey. The next stage, which I will discuss in another blog post, is Tests, Allies, and Enemies. However, as you meet new people and try new things, you will continue to grow. Eventually, the things you struggled with at the beginning of your journey will become second nature to you.
If you would like to use the VAST Journey app to tackle your own challenge or help another person with theirs, sign up to join our waiting list.