To decide that you will set out to fulfill what you believe is your purpose is to begin a journey that is dogged with the same obstacles as any hero’s journey. First, you make the decision and you are so excited! Finally! You’re ready to begin achieving your dream! This feeling of euphoria lasts for a while and it feels so good.
You take your first few steps. Then suddenly you come across a hurdle.
You hear the voices of your loved ones saying, “Are you sure?” “Is that safe?” “What if XXX happens?” Of course, the voice of the Inner Critic echoes everything your well-meaning friends and family say to you. This is the first hurdle. There are more.
There are days when nothing seems to go right. When nothing appears to be moving in any direction at all. When you’re not sure that you’ve made any progress up to now. When the world seems to throw obstacles at you from every direction. This is an easy place for that sneaky voice of the Inner Saboteur (Check out Rosanne Bane’s fantastic work about this conniving little character), to pipe up and tell you that you might as well not go on. You’re a failure anyway.
Perhaps you stand up to the Saboteur and continue to move toward your goals. Perhaps a wise mentor shows up to help guide you. Perhaps you see a sign that inspires you to go on. To keep fighting.
In the hero’s journey, the closer you get to the mountain top the more challenging the tests become. You are being asked: How badly do you really want this? How many times are you willing to try, try, try again?
Consider this Thomas Edison quote: “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
If you’re facing hurdles you must jump, or difficulties you must overcome, or doubts you must silence, or thoughts of giving up–try waiting. Just wait. Sleep on it. Wait a week and see if things suddenly become easier or you are able to see a creative solution to what you thought was an insolvable problem. Remember even though he almost gives up and suffers setbacks many times along the way, the hero always gets there in the end.
