Hero's Journey #1

The Hero’s Journey: Every Journey Begins at the Starting Point

We find our Hero in the ordinary world, or, everyday life.

It’s a world that is comfortable (or uncomfortable) but nonetheless familiar, a place where there is no real sense of purpose or mission, where our hero moves forward on autopilot.

Beneath the surface, however, there is a lingering tension—something is missing. There’s a need for change, a desire to stir the waters. The daily routine feels unsatisfying, leaving the hero feeling empty.

Think of Luke Skywalker, living a dull life helping his family, dreaming of joining the Rebel Alliance but held back by the responsibilities of daily existence. Or Neo in The Matrix, trapped in two parallel lives: a boring and repetitive office job by day, and by night, his relentless search for answers about the mysterious Matrix, always sensing that something doesn’t add up. Or Harry Potter, living in the cupboard under the stairs at his aunt and uncle’s house, feeling out of place, as though he doesn’t belong.

The hero is introduced as an ordinary person, just like us, struggling with the same problems and existential crises. They ask themselves the same questions we often do—whether on our way to work in the morning or during a Monday lunch break.

We relate to their condition because, at its core, this first stage of the journey speaks about us. It reveals how, despite convincing ourselves that we are living a good life on paper, we still feel unsatisfied, unfulfilled. And sometimes, in the stillness of the night or under the influence of alcohol or substances that lower our defenses, we realize we are not truly happy. We see that we have been sold a lie—that our job, the apartment we pay for, or the relationship we’re in fails to give us what we deeply crave.

We will have the opportunity to explore, in the stages to come, how the journey begins from this point.

See you soon.

M.