Last week we had the assignment to watch a movie from a list. I chose to watch the documentary called “Finding Joe.”

It is a story about Joseph Campbell and The Hero’s Journey. I was not sure it would be my cup of tea and took me a bit of time to decide to start watching it.

I was pleasantly surprised once I started it and ended up with pages of notes to think about. The Hero’s Journey is about a circle that takes us on our journeys through life and how we respond determines the path we are on. It is literally where we face ourselves.

The way they wove movie clips in from a lot of movies I am familiar with was very enjoyable. There were clips from: Gladiator, Lord of the Rings, Wizard of Oz, The Matrix, Rocky, Iron Man 2, Star Wars, Harry Potter. The Goblet of Fire, Alice in Wonderland, Batman Begins, Empire Strikes Back, Superman, Raider of the Lost Ark, and others.

A lot of these people were superheroes so you might be saying like me. “I’m no superhero” but that is not really the point. It is about choosing to allow yourself to transform into your best self and to use that best self to be of service to others.

One phrase they used in the movie that I noted was “trance of comfort.” A few ways it was described were not sticking my head up above the crowd, spaced out – not developing, on a treadmill – cannot get off, and limiting creativity. Joseph Campbell said, “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”

The hero’s call can be like a phone ringing or a small inner voice of your spirit making you feel unsatisfied with the status quo. Sometimes the call comes when your world is shaken, and you must face the scariest things you could imagine. It usually involves letting go of the old to go forward to the new. They used the example of a snake shedding its skin.

Then you find a new unique path – where you are taking responsibility for your own life. We will have dragons to slay along the way but choosing to be the hero rather than a victim will move you forward in your journey.

Fear is one of the dragons and in the movie, they said: courage is moving forward in fear and doing the things that scare you. Joseph Campbell said, “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.”

Listen to the call of your spirit to lead you to your authentic journey “Your bliss.” This will create your memorable story. Sharing your story with others will then be a way you can bless and encourage others to start their hero’s journey.

Till next week, remember that every journey starts with a single step, and you are special!