Finding Nemo, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, The Lord of the Rings. What do all these movies have in common?
Joseph Campbell, a professor of comparative mythology and religion, spent his life studying the myths and stories of ancient cultures from all around the world. He discovered that in all cultures, across all eras, there was a consistent plot structure that kept showing up again and again:
The Hero’s Journey.
It’s the same plot that most of our favourite movies follow.
The hero (Nemo, Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter) starts off in the ordinary world that they have always known. Then, hearing a “call to adventure” they decide to leave behind that world where they are comfortable and step out into the land of the unknown. Met with guides, mentors, challenges and temptations, the hero learns to overcome perceived limitations and develops new skills and powers to tackle the obstacles along their path. The hero is transformed by their trials and hardships, and when they eventually return back home they bring with them the lessons, skills and wisdom gained along the journey.
Hollywood continues to recycle this storyline over and over because it strikes a chord deep within all of us. On some level we all identify with the hero in that story.
We are all the main characters in our own movie. And whether we realize it or not, each one of us craves an adventure into the unknown to discover our true potential and transform into the hero of our own journey.
But, how do we get there? How do we go from the comfort of our known world to becoming the hero in our story?
Here at The Habit Journey, I believe the answer lies in our habits.
Aristotle once said: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
It’s the small daily actions we take that ultimately determine the path we are on in life.
If you change your habits, you change your path. Change your path, and you change your life.
Along every Hero’s Journey comes a time when they receive help. A nudge in the right direction, a motivating jolt, or a spark of inspiration. By sharing the discoveries and lessons learned from my own journey to a better life—a journey that continues every day—my aim is to be that help for another.
Through hours of research, reading, listening, learning and ultimately application, I aim to find and share actionable ways we can overcome our struggles, and triumph to reach our true potential. I might not have all the answers, but I am looking hard to find them.
Drawing upon books, podcasts, research studies and personal experience my content focuses on providing practical advice on things such as…
I don’t expect everyone to find all of it useful: most readers will love 50%, skim 30%, and ignore 20%. But, what is common sense to one might be a revelation for another, so it all stays.
I invite you to take what you need, ignore the rest, and accept this call to adventure. This call to change your habits.
This is your Hero’s Journey. This is your Habit Journey.