Hero's Journey #2
Call to Adventure
Our hero is living their life, going through their routine on autopilot—sometimes aware of a latent dissatisfaction, other times completely oblivious.
Then, something happens—a catalyst (a sign, a messenger, an event) appears on their path, pushing them out of their equilibrium. Think of Gandalf visiting Frodo in The Lord of the Rings and telling him about the ring, or the letter Harry Potter receives from Hogwarts: "You’re a wizard, Harry." Or Peter Parker being bitten by a spider.
As I mentioned in the previous article, the signs of change have been present from the start. Our hero is either dissatisfied or has an inner sense that there is more.
- Harry already feels he doesn’t belong in that world, sensing that something greater is waiting for him.
- Luke Skywalker craves adventure; his spirit is restless, and he struggles with an internal conflict. The twin suns in Star Wars symbolize this duality—one sun represents his current life, while the other calls him toward a greater destiny.
- Neo already senses that something is off in the world around him.
- Belle, in Beauty and the Beast, doesn’t want to remain the simple village girl, confined to a mundane life. She sings, "I want adventure in the great wide somewhere." Her heart longs for something beyond the ordinary.
They don’t need external validation to confirm what they already feel inside. However, as often happens in our own lives, it usually takes a major event—the loss of a loved one, losing a job, the end of a relationship—to finally push us forward.
This Call to Adventure is that moment when we, too, feel something stirring within us, pulling us toward change, growth, and evolution. It is the universe’s nudge, a reminder that life is a journey of constant expansion, and we are meant to heed its call.
The Hero’s Journey is not just for myths or fiction—it unfolds all around us and within us. And for those who have achieved outer success yet still feel a longing for deeper meaning, this journey is your invitation to step into your most authentic and illuminated self.
See you on the next one!
