Overcoming Challenges with Narrative Therapy: Where are you in the Hero's Journey?
You are the hero of your own story. Stories aren't just for kids. In fact, they're critical in many forms of adult therapy, from Narrative Therapy to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. One of the top therapy apps, LIFE Intelligence covers 9 topics, or Missions, for holistic self, career, and relationship development. The second Mission is about developing self-awareness and understanding where you are in your LIFE story. Only in first understanding the status quo can you then determine where to go next. It focuses on the Hero's Journey, a common narrative arc in epic films or books. The Hero's Journey is really a story of personal growth. It's the journey of how we develop as humans and how we rise to the challenge when we're down. Read on to understand how.
What is the Hero's Journey?
The Hero's Journey was popularized in 1949 by writer Joseph Campbell, who took all the stories we love from mythology and found that they fit a certain arc. We can see this journey in almost any story. Let's take, for example, the film boxing legend Rocky Balboa.
Call to Adventure
The first step of the Hero's Journey is the Call to Adventure. Rocky begins as an ordinary guy, a mediocre boxer. He gets an unexpected challenge - a fight with a star, Apollo Creed. He’s terrified he’s going to get beaten in, so he refuses the call at first, until a mentor, Micky, turns him around. When he decides to take on the challenge, he's finally crossed the threshold.
In the Abyss
The next step is a tough, grueling journey. Rocky trains hard, getting back into shape with the help of Micky. He has to fight not just physical battles in this stage, but internal ones as well: fears he'll never amount to anything, jeers from people who don't believe in him. This culminates in the bottom of the image you see below, the abyss.
Transformation
However, Rocky pushes through, and he's able to transform. He gives Apollo the fight of his life, and even though he doesn't win, he comes out of the experience a new man. He's found his mojo. He's gotten the confidence to ask out the woman of his dreams. And he goes on to become an even bigger legend than ever imagined.
What does this have to do with us? LIFE Intelligence teaches us to become our own heroes, to overcome challenges by seeing them as external foes. Consider, for a moment, all the foes you have already defeated. Maybe you've broken a bad habits. Maybe you've gritted through tough assignments. Maybe you've had the courage to leave unhealthy relationships, or stand up tor what you thought was right, even though it was hard.
When you wake up tomorrow, remember the Hero's Journey. Remember that each day, when you wake up, you may meet a call to adventure. Maybe it's a boss handing you a new opportunity. Maybe it's a potential date. All of these may seem uncomfortable at first. And, it's natural to, like Rocky, "refuse the call." It may feel safer to maintain the status quo, and not step outside your comfort zone. But, if you are willing to cross the threshold, your journey to personal growth awaits.
But also be prepared. Once you cross that threshold, things will get tough. It will be grueling, and hard. There will be times when you're down in the abyss, wondering why you ever took on this challenge, and worrying that you'll never emerge. In those hardest, darkest moments, remember that transformation is right around the corner. And know, that whether you win or lose, the transformation is worth the journey.
Take it from a former investor: you are your best investment. Jasmine Chen is the creator of the LIFE Intelligence app, a science-backed DIY therapist, career coach, and relationship counselor in one. So you can manage stress and anxiety, improve work productivity, and build lasting relationships. After Princeton, Harvard Business School, and years of investing, Jasmine was disappointed to find herself and many high-achieving peers still dealing ineffectively with personal or professional problems, thus wasting a lot of productive mindspace. So, she left a hedge fund to write the comprehensive program she hopes can change the way entire companies and generations communicate and develop future leaders. Because both mental health and great managers start with self-management.
