How to be the Hero of your story

The Hero’s Journey. An epic adventure that sways the heart, challenges the mind and pushes a once mostly average fellow to dizzying heights of courage and bravery — and did I mention there were dragons? We love a good hero. From Middle Earth to the Marvel Universe you have seen these brave souls take on the world, struggle, fail and get back up again…and again…and again. There is something both super-human and super-simple to a hero. The refusal to give up.

Get knocked down? Sure.

Get held back? Definitely.

Get low on motivation? Certainly.

But, give up? Never.

One of the fundamental truths in the world is that you are the hero of your own story. There simply isn’t another reason for you to be here (just go with me) than to be living your life and creating the narrative in which you exist.

Depending on your current circumstances you might be thinking anything from:

Nikki, your are 100% right! I am a freaking hero. I am the creator of my story!

All the way to:

At best I am an un-named extra in the movie: Scared Citizen #3 waiting to be rescued by a real hero.

All that actually means is that you are experiencing a different stage in your heroes journey — they didn’t start out slaying dragons did they? And if they tell you that, they are lying.

You’ve most likely felt both of those extremes and nearly every stage in between. It’s human nature. I get it.

I also get, that staying in the role of Scared Citizen #3 is a BS story that serves no-one and nothing — especially not you.

So are you ready now to know how to be the Hero of your story?

I knew you were! Let’s go on an adventure.

There are 3 things you must accept as true:

1. You are the hero of your own story.

2. You have the power to change your narrative.

3. You will fail, in fact you must fail, but you also refuse to give up.

Write these on your mirror. Read them out loud everyday. Save them on your phone. Set an alarm every hour to remind you. Do what it takes to accept these truths. It’s what a hero would do after all.

A strong mindset is the compass on your journey and now let’s look at the map.

What stage are you at on your Hero’s Journey? Use the prompts below and make sure to be completely honest about where you are at now and where you need to go next.

Identify where you are on the (simplified) Hero’s Journey:

Stage 1: The Call to Adventure (A hesitant step towards something new)

Stage 2: The Trials and Initiation (Finding guides and mentors to get through)

Stage 3: The Test and Transformation (Realisation of growth and capability)

Stage 4: The Heroic Return (Acceptance, mastery and a new normal)

At each stage there are tests, there is doubt and there is the commitment to move forward and the refusal to return to what once was. A Hero isn’t made from their successes, but from the refusal to give in to the failures.

I know you are a hero and I hope now you do too.

I look forward to hearing how you’ve chosen to remind yourself of the three truths and what stage on your epic Hero’s Journey you are on.

Comment, message or write me a freaking novel — just make sure you start playing the part you were born for!

My simplified Hero’s Journey is based on Joseph Campbell’s mono-myth from his book, ‘The Hero With A Thousand Faces’.

- Nikki Wouters: Coach & Creator