“This first stage of the mythological journey—which we have designated the ‘call to adventure’—signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and transferred his spiritual center of gravity from within the pale of his society to a zone unknown. This fateful region [is one] of both treasure and danger.
The hero can go forth of his own volition…
Or he may be carried or sent…
The adventure may begin as a mere blunder…
Or when some passing phenomenon catches the wandering eye and lures one away from the frequented paths of man.”
–The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
PARADIGM SHIFT
The Call to Adventure
In his book The Hero With A Thousand Faces, author Joseph Campbell outlines the common elements that make up the story of a hero’s journey.
It’s called a metanarrative.
It’s the theme which is common to virtually all stories throughout history which have deeply touched the human soul.
The start of that journey is the call to adventure.
Sometimes this comes in the form of the character yearning for something beyond their normal, everyday life. Think of Belle in Beauty and the Beast.
Other times, the character is perfectly happy with their normal life but is forced by circumstances into an adventure against their will. Think of Frodo from The Lord of the Rings.
That adventure transforms the hero’s life, but not without walking the road of trials, meeting with temptation, and spending time in the belly of the whale.
We like to watch movies and read stories of such adventure. We like it usually because we expect the hero to somehow be transformed. Regardless of whether the story has a happy or sad ending, we come away feeling inspired by the fact that such a common individual transformed into a hero. Their actions remind us of something divine, something absolutely right and good.
We recognize something in this which reflects our own inner journey.
When it comes to our own lives, are we feeling that call to adventure? Most likely. Otherwise, we wouldn’t relate with such stories. But here’s the important question.
Are we willing to do what it takes to answer that call and allow the journey to transform us, come what may?
There are far more important things than material success. The sooner we accept that, the sooner we will begin to meet with success beyond our capacity to imagine.
The willingness to pursue that personal transformation through answering that inner call is the first step of the journey. And the perseverance to not look back, regardless of the desert which must first be crossed, will eventually earn you a place in the promised land.