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Featured Artist: Joseph Campbell
(1904-1987)
This summer’s blockbuster films continue to
bring us stories of great heroes – from a horse called
Seabiscuit to a savior
named Neo in the Matrix Reloaded. But heroes don’t only win races, slay
dragons, or free humans from underground cities; hero’s free themselves from
the challenges of life to reveal a greater sense of meaning and purpose.
According to famed American author and mythologist, Joseph Campbell, “Hero is
part of us, not just a part of history.” We all confront “dragons” when we risk
change and grow. But it’s the courageous, who choose to cross the
threshold into the unknown instead of waiting for crisis to force them through,
who are the real heroes.
Campbell, whose work was highlighted by Bill Moyers in the 1988 PBS series,
The Power of Myth, asserted that there is a single pattern of heroic journey
that all people and cultures share. This pattern, clearly defined in Campbell’s first original work,
A Hero with a Thousand Faces, mirrors the “rites of passage” we cross from the familiar into
the unknown. No matter our life experience -- new relationships, divorce, births, deaths, moves to
new cities or changes in jobs -- it seems we all travel through three fundamental stages: Preparation,
Journey, and The Return. These stages, according to psychologist Carol S. Pearson, author of
The Hero Within, mirror the process of human psychological development. Successful completion
of one stage of our journey opens the door to the next.
Heeding the “Call” and “Crossing the Threshold” of fear or self-doubt lead us into the “Abyss,”
where our greatest challenges unfold. It is here, where we must battle our dragons… “Can I succeed
in business?” Write the book? Survive a breakup? Pull myself out of debt or overcome disease?”
Traveling into our abyss, no matter how frightening, ultimately leads to deeper self-understanding
and greater self-actualization. We reach for a power within ourselves we never knew existed before –
a place of compassion or courage, wisdom, or inner strength. Our reach rewards us with a gift that
“Transforms” our lives. We’re changed by the journey and are now ready to “Return” more complete,
fulfilled, and whole.
I can’t imagine life without adventurous sojourns, for without adventure, how would we continue to
live life fully and learn everything we need to learn. It’s taken a long time for me to embrace my
“abyss” – abuse, downsizing, death, divorce -- as places of great learning. For years I resisted
confronting my dragons, denying their existence while trying to control my fate. But they kept showing
up as “crisis” so I might have the chance to resurrect my hero within.
Crisis is one way to rediscover our hero. But we’ve got a much more powerful ally for the journey
when we learn to rely on conscious
choice.
I finally learned to allow the power of choice to guide me on the journey when I chose to risk it
all in 1998 – quitting my job and selling my home – to travel solo around the world. I embarked on
a journey of lifetime, and even though my plane touched down in the fall of ’98, I only just “landed”
when I wrote the final page of my book on July 24, 2003. After four years of reflection and capturing
my experiences in writing, I’ve finally “returned.” Now I’m ready to share my learning in the newly
titled --
A Journey of My Choosing: Traveling the Creative Path of Life. You’ll be hearing much more about
it in the coming months. I do hope you’ll “choose” to travel along with me through the pages of my story.
As Joseph Campbell teaches, The Hero’s Journey is not only embedded in the works of mythology,
great literature, and film. It is embedded in the stories of each of our lives. As you continue to
write your own story, consider if crisis will be the force to push you into your “abyss” or if the
power of choice will see you through.
Poetry is a prophetic gift from sojourners who capture their experiences of the
“abyss” through the power of the written word. But poets not only gift us with their words; they gift
us with profound meaning that rises up from their souls. This month I couldn’t resist including one
of my favorite poems, The Journey, by Mary Oliver. You won’t want to miss this beautiful poetic
explanation of The Hero’s Journey. Be sure to read it aloud!
The Journey
One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice—
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.
But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
and stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do—
determined to save
the only life you could save.
Mary Oliver
To learn more about Joseph Campbell’s journey into the world of heroic myths visit the
Joseph Campbell Foundation at www.jcf.org or
view the famed 1988 Bill Moyer’s series,
The Power of Myth, available at your local library or at
www.amazon.com. And for a “heroine’s” perspective on the subject, read best selling author Carol S. Pearson’s
The Hero Within.
If you’re interested in “literal” journeys to exotic, fascinating places, then visit
Smithsonian Journeys at www.smithsonianjourneys.org.
In addition to extended journeys with internationally acclaimed guides, you’ll find weekend and family trips;
extensive reading lists; VOICES, a series of audiocassettes of famed historians, novelists, and actors; and even an
Art Collector’s Program designed for art aficionados interested in acquiring high-quality limited edition prints by
contemporary American artists. It’s a great site!
Aspiring writers and film lovers will want to check out
The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, by Christopher Vogler at
www.amazon.com, a classic guide to using “mythic structure to
create powerful narratives.” And to experience The Hero’s Journey transformed into modern day screenplays, rent
the original
Star Wars, The Matrix, or Field of Dreams – films that have woven the patterns of
“The Hero’s Journey” into blockbuster hits.
The Power of Many! Current openings
available in Coaching Support Group
A great (and economical) way to experience the power of coaching, while gaining support from a
group of bright, professional women seeking balance and fulfillment. Consider the benefits, as
expressed by one current group member…
Phyllis' coaching helped remove the barriers towards making the first steps in what I wanted in a
personal relationship. With encouragement from her and the group, the ball started rolling and
collecting steam much sooner, and faster, than if I had remained at home! Plus, I learned so
much from the group!
Bi-monthly sessions from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. will resume in September. $140 per month with minimum
commitment of three months. Maximum 6 participants. Contact Phyllis at 404-352-0340 or
at pcarrera@humanarts.biz for details.
"Soulful" Weight Loss: Group
Coaching for Healthy Living
A "free" introductory tele-class "Wholeness Over Habit" will be held Tues, Sept 9, 2003,
from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. EDT. Email pcarrera@humanarts.biz
with name and phone number to be added to the roster and receive call guidelines, phone number,
and agenda. Limit 30 participants.Tired of battling weight loss? Need support? A new approach?
If so, join Phyllis and long-term clients, Cathy Handyside and Lynne Dougherty, to explore an
integrated approach to weight loss. Cathy's and Lynne's success stories, along with a community
of support, will inspire you to embrace
6 holistic principles that will change your life forever!
- Place "wholeness over habit"
focusing first on soul, then mind,
then body.
- Trust a higher power to support
being "powerless over food."
- Feed yourself a delicious diet
of "self-love" to counter unhealthy
"self-sabotage."
- Reprogram "mind over matter"
through responsible choice-making.
- Remember that "one size does not
fit all" by exploring a variety of
diets that serve individual needs.
- "Exercise discipline" to
tighten, tone, and refresh your
body, mind and soul.
The complete series will
continue every other Tuesday beginning
Tues, Sept 16, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m and
ending Nov 25. An "after the show"
discussion follows from 8:30 to 9:00
p.m. Your investment of $150 – a special
introductory price -- includes
bi-monthly calls, email inspiration and
education, and a follow-up tele-coaching
session with Phyllis to ensure continued
progress. Enrollment is limited to 8, so
sign up early!
Contact Phyllis at
pcarrera@humanarts.biz or
404-352-0340 for more information or to
register.
Self-Renewal: A Journey of My Choosing ~ 2003 Louisiana Joining Hands and Hearts: Communities
Organizing, Saying NO! To Domestic Violence and Child Victimization, Sept. 2-4, Baton Rouge,
LA. Phyllis presents a workshop for advocates who constantly give to others and are left
with little to give themselves and may even experienced “vicarious trauma.” Participants will
be guided in a process of self-reflection and renewal. Visit
www.lcadv.org or contact Phyllis for more information.
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To find your own way is to follow your own bliss.
This involves analysis, watching yourself and seeing
where the real deep bliss is – not the quick excitement,
but the real, deep, life-filling bliss.”
Joseph Campbell
“Midway along the journey of our life I woke to find myself
in a dark wood, for I had wandered off from the straight path.
Dante Alighieri
“The journey of a thousand miles
begins with a single step.”
Lao Tzu
“The soul of a journey is liberty,
perfect liberty, to think,
to feel, do just as one pleases.”
William Hazlett
“I fear me this -- is Loneliness –
The Maker of the soul
Its Caverns and its Corridors
Illuminate – or seal –
Emily Dickinson
“I’m not seeking for the meaning
of life, but the experience of
being alive.”
Joseph Campbell
“Don’t be satisfied with stories,
how things have gone with others.
Unfold your own myth.”
Rumi
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