Deep down inside we are all heroes. Heroes of our own destiny. While that may sound idealized, it is absolutely true! We are designed with the desire to do something great, to contribute to our world and communities in meaningful ways, and, most importantly, to feel the reward of knowing that we fulfilled a unique purpose. This kind of accomplishment creates a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment, but requires grit, determination, and courage.
It’s known as the hero’s journey and this process can take place time and time again throughout our lives. It happens each time we dare to venture from a comfortable place and to accept an invitation to do something extraordinary. This cycle, is exactly what we encourage, facilitate and love to see happening at CHOICE. It’s the cycle that happens when transformational learning experiences are occurring! Here’s a simple outline of the phases of a hero’s journey.
The Call: It all begins with “a call.” This is an impression to do something that is either generated from within or from an outside source. Think: initiating a career change, developing a new talent, redefining your belief system or making important course corrections in your family culture. If you choose to act on this impression, you will begin a hero’s journey. Things feel exciting and new at this stage of the game and your energy level is high.
Roadblocks: At some point in the journey, you will experience obstacles that make it difficult to keep your forward momentum. An outside helper or mentor is critical to bypassing the roadblocks. It has been said, “When the person is ready, the mentor appears.” This is the stage where you will experience the 3 T’s: Tests, Trials, and Traps. Your mentor, if chosen wisely, can help you through these obstacles and can sometimes even predict them!
Desert: This stage is exactly as it sounds! While your mentor is still present, you are taking more initiative and finding independence as you slog through the hard work that is required by your choice to embark on a hero’s journey. You will be doing some pretty hard things and the way might feel long and endless. This is the point where many want to throw in the towel, and that’s why having a mentor and helper is critical to success.
Ultimate Test: You have arrived! You have been prepared for this moment throughout your entire journey and because of that, your mentor needs to step away. While the mentor wants to help, they recognize in their wisdom that this battle is one that you must do alone. In order to complete the cycle,
this ultimate test must be passed!
Finish Strong: Once completed, you can arrive victorious at the finish line. In fact, your energy from success will have you sprinting toward the end point!
Most people can expect to go through a larger scale of this cycle at least three times in relation to family, career, and spirituality. But, as stated earlier, this cycle will be repeated many times on a smaller scale. Which is exactly what we desire for our students to experience while at CHOICE. By allowing independence and individuality in educational choices, students will often take on tasks larger than we could have imagined and come out victorious in the end. We should never underestimate the ambition
and intelligence of a child, but stand ready to be a mentor and guide along their educational journey for those times when they hit the roadblocks or feel lost in the desert. As children become personally invested in their education, take risks, and overcome challenges they will truly become heroes.
If you’d like to know more about the hero’s journey or if you have questions relating to CHOICE, don’t hesitate to reach out. We would love to chat!