If you have young children, grandchildren or a dog - you are already a hero (at least for a while they tell me).
If you have young children, grandchildren or a dog - you are already a hero (at least for a while they tell me).
Cats don’t count, they don’t need us, they just think we are cool and let us be around them.
I am thinking more about ‘The Hero’s Journey,’ Joseph Campbell’s theory that our favourite movie scripts and books are often based upon.
A hero’s journey states that the lead character starts out ordinary, like you and me, and then due to some external force, there is a call to adventure.
To save the family or protect loved ones, etc. Then the hero meets a mentor, crosses the threshold from student to fledgling hero, fights some enemies or challenges and comes out victorious!
Depending on the film or book, there may be several tests, challenges, failures and eventually victories.
These are my favourite type of movies, the ones that inspire me the most, whether they are fiction and based on nothing real.
Movies like Star Wars where Luke Skywalker is a classic example.
Starts out as a poor farm boy, meets Obi Wan Kenobi then goes on to save the whole universe. There are also movies based on real events or people, like the Blind Side; the story of Michael Orr who goes from a homeless young boy to a football legend with the help of a caring family.
How this all applies to you is this: in life we are all facing a vast array of challenges and if your life is anything like mine, it is not the one challenge we face, or even two - it is the dozens of challenges that stack up all at once that the real fight begins.
In the face of all this, we need to rise up to meet those challenges, to grow, to become more than we were before.
That can be easily said, but not so easily done.
After my crash, I often said that, “This will all make a great story around a campfire someday,’ and I meant that. I was really clear from the very start, that at some point, I would be looking back on this journey, having outgrown it and laugh.
If you are currently struggling with a weight issue or an injury, then perhaps it would be good to think of how a hero would handle it.
You have your challenge, so now you need a reason to change. Why do you want to drop that weight or rehab that knee? One new client recently said his goal was to be around for his kids growing up. That’s a powerful reason!
The next step is you need to find a mentor, someone who is wise in the ways you seek and can be your guide.
Trainers and coaches are perfect for this role, but it could be a friend or a professional like a physiotherapist in the case of an injury.
Next comes the hard work, and you will need music for this part.
Hey, it always worked for Rocky, and it can work for you too!
The hard work to ‘cross the threshold’ from average person with a problem to hero who conquered the challenge can take months or years, that is up to you and your mentor.
You might not have to fight any enemies, but perhaps old friends and family that might not be supportive of your new strange habits could be the enemy.
Things like eating all that healthy food, and saying no to greasy, fattening wing night etc. It could also be that the enemy you are fighting is disease and poor health and you need to get ready so they never come calling.
Through all of this, you must continue to picture yourself coming out the other side, victorious! Fitter, leaner, healthier! A new you, the best version of you, the ‘hero’ version of you!
Happy Training!
Scott