the hero's journey

When I was 20 I was shy, insecure, lost, dependent, lonely, and disconnected.

Then I went on a hero’s journey and now I’m 26, living a purposeful life, making a living with my passions, and formed deep lifelong friendships.

How did that happen?

Well, I studied Joseph Campbell (one of the most undervalued psychologists in my opinion).

His work inspired me to go my own path, and create my own destiny. In the last 6 years, I traveled to 40+ countries, created my own business around my interest, went deep into studying psychology (finished with a degree), and made it a habit to seek discomfort everywhere I go:

Whether it’s speaking to strangers, building a business from scratch, going to the gym when I don’t feel like it, competing in Brazilian-Jiu-Jitsu competitions, or running a marathon without training - for 6 years I embraced discomfort and will dedicate my life to continuing doing so.

Here’s a picture of me when I was 20 years old, overweight, unhealthy, and aimless (on the left) vs me at 26 years old, healthy and purposeful (on the right):

I’m not saying all this to brag. I’m nowhere near perfect. 

But I managed to turn my life around - I felt lonely, had no purpose, and didn’t know where I was going. 

And now I’m living with drive, meaning, and direction.

So what’s the Heros Journey?

“The journey of the hero is about the courage to seek the depths; the image of creative rebirth; the eternal cycle of change within us; the uncanny discovery that the seeker is the mystery which the seeker seeks to know.” - Joseph Campbell

The Hero’s Journey is a concept by the psychoanalyst Joseph Campbell.

An adventure into the unknown - the exploration of the depth inside you and the world. 

Campbell explains that everybody is born with a hero inside. Born with a desire to go on an adventure full of uncertainty, challenges, and discomfort. 

But most refuse to take on that journey and decide to let it die.

They stay in the same place, same job, same social circle their whole life. 

Therefore, they think the same thoughts and have the same beliefs and the same habits their whole life. 

They stay in the “known” and never develop the courage to explore the “unknown”.

But it’s in the unknown where growth happens. 

If you never leave the borders of the known:

• You won’t ever find the hero inside. 

• You won’t ever find the potential you have.

• You won’t ever find the reason you were put on this earth.

If you always stay in the known you end up living a depressed, meaningless, and hopeless life.  

You pay a big price by staying in your known. The clock is ticking. 

If you’re miserable in your job now then in 5 years you’ll be much more miserable. And a lot older. 

So it’s absolutely crucial to explore the unknown. Because by exploring the unknown you become your own person. And you won’t grow up until you create your own path and think your own thoughts.

How to go on a hero’s journey

Seek discomfort

Discomfort is a sign that you’re in the unknown. 

The discomfort is where you discover who you are. 

It’s in the discomfort where growth happens.

Join a martial arts gym, do a solo trip, run a marathon, spend a day without a phone, approach strangers, try public speaking, learn a new language, the options are endless. 

It doesn’t matter what it is as long as it’s putting you into the unknown. 

During my psychology studies, I learned that avoidance of discomfort is the root cause of almost all your problems.

Dive into discomfort and you will find yourself.

Introspect

A hero’s journey is not only a journey outside. 

It’s also a journey within - a journey to explore the hidden parts of yourself.

The hero confronts his or her fears and dares to look at the things they don’t want to look at. 

In the words of my favorite psychologist Carl Jung: “That which you fear and avoid, that which you hold in contempt, that which disgusts you - that’s the gateway to what you need to know”. 

Pretty heavy. But that’s the hero’s journey - the relentless exploration of the unknown. 

So go inward: 

• Write down what you fear, what you’re ashamed of, what you feel guilty about

• Meditate on why you feel that way 

• Talk it through with a friend, family member, and/or a therapist

To find yourself you need to lose yourself first. Go toward the unknown, knowing the danger you could encounter. But it’s more dangerous if you stay. By a lot. So in the danger of the unknown, you might lose your body but if you stay in the known you lose your soul.

So go on your hero’s journey and doors will open for you that you didn’t even know they could.

In the midst of my hero’s journey, I stumbled on Acceptance-Commitment Therapy - a beautiful method that taught me how to:

• be present in the face of adversity

• live in alignment with my values

• create a purposeful and meaningful life

ACT changed so much within me. Not only did it help me complete my hero’s journey but it also helped me rewire my brain from shame, heal repressed trauma, and restore meaning in my life.

So if you’re ready to go on your own hero’s journey and need somebody who guides you toward creating the life that was meant for you, then reply with “ACT” and I get back to you.

With love,

Heythem

P.s.: what do you think about the concept of the hero’s journey? Would love to hear your thoughts!

P.P.S.: It came to my attention that the link to my ACT course stopped working. So for those who want to have the course material, here you go: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nFdMRneV-P33jo2W1Hw1WA58I-hNU5he/view?usp=sharing