"Every now and then a book comes along that takes you places you've never been before. Living the Hero's Journey is one of those books!" ~ Marshall Goldsmith, Author of #1 New York Times bestseller - TriggersUNCOVER YOUR LIFE PATH Author Will Craig shares the paths traveled, lessons learned, and insights gained as the founder and former dean of an international coaching and mentoring company. Experience how to use movies and mythology to uncover the path that is truly yours.
This is your Call to Adventure: Unroll the Map of Self-Discovery and embrace a whole new world of joy and wisdom. Gain access to the hidden location that holds the answers to the meaning of life and the secrets to happines. Explore the pathways and side roads of the Inner Journey with strength and confidence. Unlock the secrets of the Ancient Greeks who mastered the success principles of Know Thyself. Demystify the process of understanding and actualizing your purpose and passion. Meet your mentor and learn how to earn the essential and indispensable gift. Summon the courage to be the hero in the action-adventure story that is your life! In an age where people look outward for direction and upward for inspiration, Living the Hero's Journey provides a time-honored template for looking inward and going deep for the answers we seek.
Will Craig travels the world researching and documenting the subtleties and nuances of a life well lived. Will’s passion is creating dynamic stories using engaging content and captured moments. A select number of his travel photos can be seen at National Geographic and the full galleries here.
As an avid explorer, the odyssey that fascinates him the most is the inner journey. In Will’s current book, Living the Hero’s Journey: Your Role in the Action Adventure of a Lifetime, readers uncover the map of self-discovery, chart their true course, and return with the Elixir of Life.
Will is the founder and former dean of Coach Training Alliance, an international coaching and mentoring company based in Boulder, Colorado. He holds a master’s degree in education and human development from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Will has worked with entertainment giants like the Walt Disney Company, Up with People, and Universal Studios. For twelve years, he was a writer-producer of film and television projects in Orlando and served as president of the Florida Motion Picture & Television Association.
I listened to this book on Audible and didn't physically read it. The way this book reads sounds like a bunch of random quotes, movie references, and unoriginal thoughts thrown together in a haphazard manner. Perhaps physically reading it would give me a better impression as some books are significantly better in print than audio in my opinion. Overall, I was very disappointed with it.
Dear Reader, Good morning, I have completed reading the book *LIVING THE HERO'S JOURNEY* by Will Craig.
*Lessons learnt:*
*You Were Born to Flourish:* In an age where people look outward for direction and upward for inspiration, Living the Hero’s Journey provides a time-honored template for looking inward and going deep for the answers we all seek. In fact, the Hero’s Journey is in our genes—good and evil, love and loss, life and death. In this book, we are living that journey on a quest for personal growth and development. We are hardwired for adopting and adapting to the challenges of life, and for deciphering and discovering our destiny. At our best, we are living the Hero’s Journey.
*If we cannot find joy in the journey, there will be no delight in the destination*
Our journey will come with many tests and trials, coupled with our fair share of allies and enemies. We’ll not only meet our demons and dragons but get to name them. Recognizing the dragon that has held us back—the one that breathes fire in our mind—has dominated our subconscious thinking long enough. Naming our dragon (e.g., self-doubt, fear, conformity) is the first step in taking our power back.
*Similar to the police officer motto, “to protect and serve,” the maxim of the hero is “to serve and sacrifice.”*
*Destiny:* Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a predetermined fate but a culmination of how we choose to live our lives. This section helps us discover the hero within and challenges us to truly be the hero of our lives.
*Hero’s Inner Journey:* Along the path, we meet friends, allies, and enemies, as well as a protective advisor and mentor. The hero steps into the “special world” and onto the road of trials to face tests and transformative confrontations. Without the perils of fate, the hero cannot discover their destiny. Without risk and challenges, there are no rewards and no fulfillment. Slaying dragons, both external and internal, is all in a day’s work for our page-turning adventurer. *The ordeal* is a metaphor for the reawakening of the hero. In the process, we discover the treasure of enlightened knowledge and are bestowed with the reward of newfound wisdom. The hero returns to the ordinary world with the treasure of *transformation.*
To achieve life mastery and be worthy of a life well lived, we must take action,ownership, and responsibility for our choices.
*Lights, Camera, Action!:* You are the hero of your life. Who else could be? in the movie that is your life, you’re it. You are responsible for what happens—and what doesn’t. You decide who gets cast in which roles and even the lines you speak. Ultimately, you determine how well you do at the box office of life.You are constantly bettering your skills and becoming stronger with each increasingly difficult challenge. You are the hero of your life!
*EVOLVING SELF-DISCOVERY:* The stages of the hero’s inner journey include awareness, change, and renewal. We become aware of a need for change and can consciously accept the call for change, or we can refuse the call. Taking ownership of the need for change plants the seeds for growth and renewal in our subconscious.
*HERO:* In the classic definition, a hero is someone who gives their life to something bigger than themselves. The journey is one of initiation, of awakening an inner power of spiritual knowing. The mythic hero endures hardships and separation from the clan to enter a strange and unfamiliar world. Facing both external and internal obstacles, the hero confronts fears, as well as external challenges to ensure survival. Conquering the forces rallied against them, heroes emerge as their authentic selves, victorious and empowered. The hero returns to the tribe and shares the rewards of the adventure with all.
*KNOW THYSELF:* To fully know yourself is a lifelong journey. Begin by looking inward, and gradually go deeper. Spend quiet time with yourself (as corny as that may sound). Look at your strengths and your weaknesses. Be still long enough to sense the relative silence, and listen to what you might hear for the first time. Review your beliefs and what you stand for. Better yet, consider what or who you would die for. If you’re afraid of what you might see and hear, that’s all the more reason to look and listen. It is the very strife and struggle of coming to know ourselves that gives our lives meaning and significance.
*Mentor:* Coaches and mentors are now, and should always be, key individuals in your life. They have traveled the path and illuminate your way toward life mastery. The mentor shares experience, imparts wisdom, and conveys values. The mentor is the keeper of folklore, myths, and other life-shaping stories. Think of the wise old woman or man who has walked the path ahead of the hero and knows both the dangers and the secrets of a safe and fruitful passage. Preparing the hero for the tests, trials, and ordeals that lie ahead, the mentor implements training that provides essential lessons for the hero. Mentors endow the hero with requisite knowledge and gifts that would take a lifetime to acquire. Your gift may be limited to knowledge and wisdom. For longer, more demanding journeys, you’ll need something closer to divine intervention. This gift is one you need to earn. Most often, it is the exact thing you need in your darkest moment. Whatever the gift may be, the most important attribute you gain from it is confidence.
When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties, and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.” These words of wisdom date back to 150 BC and were written by the Indian sage Patañjali, compiler of the Yoga Sūtras.
Most of us want things to be different, but few of us are willing to change. Unlike the snake, we’re not ready to shed a familiar and comfortable skin. We know that when we change, we outgrow our former selves and must leave something behind. Part of us dies or, at the very least, is abandoned in favor of a new and better self. There is a price for renewal, and payment is exacted at the point of transformation.
*BORN TO FLOURISH:* Contrary to how the world is presented to you on a daily basis, regardless of the number of obstacles placed in front of you, no matter what challenges you face each day, know this: You were born to flourish.
*YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND* Expanding the Power of Your Personal Genie The genie we all have inside us is awaiting our instructions and ready to grant our every wish. If you’re not where you want to be in your life, what commands are you giving your genie? Listen to this enchanting tale embroiling your greatest ally and your worst enemy. *THANK YOU*
I really enjoyed this very insightful and well thought out journey shared in book form. The book is not just the standard self help, try hard, work hard, get motivated, and improve your life book. This book takes a unique approach to lead you through the process of taking the reigns of your life back and understanding the roles different people play in our lives, as well as the different roles required of each of us along the way. Presented in a practical and imaginative fashion a map is laid out so you can travel along and recognize and look at the many facets of the personality, trials and triumphs in life. There are some great quotes in this book designed to make the reader take a hard look at themselves, then encourage them to be accountable and seize those moments in life then a decision, a choice for a new path is needed. One of my favorites is: "Change: Once we fully commit, change begins happening at the unconscious level. We make a leap of faith into the unknown." If you have ever felt like you were stuck at a crossroads in your life, trying to decide what to do next - this is a good book for that. We aren't meant to stay stuck, we are meant to flourish. I recommend this journey.
There are great bits in here, but the overall effect didn’t work for me. I love fiction and I thought the journey metaphor would hold. I’d recommend Design Your Life or Level Up as more engaging books covering the same topics.
This might work better for someone super in to movies - maybe the references would be compelling.
‘If I am the hero of my life, I better start acting like it.’
Author/photographer extraordinaire Will Craig earned his Masters degree in Education and Human Development from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C and is the founder and former dean of Coach Training Alliance, an international coaching and mentoring company based in Boulder, Colorado. His passion is helping people discover their life’s path by charting new adventures in personal growth and lifelong learning. His ‘clients’ include the Walt Disney Company, Up with People, and Universal Studios. For twelve years, he was a writer-producer of film and television projects and served as president of the Florida Motion Picture & Television Association.
Will’s enthusiasm permeates the pages of this engrossing book. In his Preface her states, ‘the Hero’s Journey is a narrative structure for storytelling that pre-dates the Greeks and Romans. The mythological framework has transcended time and cultures. The myths of today are told by Hollywood screenwriters using the Hero’s Journey as a template for developing interesting characters, plots, and impossible situations. It turns out, I’ve been on the adventure of a lifetime—one man's quest for living well. Coming to appreciate the metaphors in mythology and the magic of the movies helps me envision my path. I’m able to make better sense of the sometimes-confusing map of life while living the Hero’s Journey.’
And in the solid introduction he lays the map for this journey – ‘In Greek mythology and folklore, the hero or heroine was considered a demigod. The countryside in Greece abounds with statues and temples exalting scores of heroes like Zeus, Hercules, Prometheus, Odysseus, Jason, and Orpheus, just to name a few. With the passing of time, the moniker came to refer to individuals displaying courage and the will for self-sacrifice. Today, we are all eligible for acts of heroism. Fanfare for the common man! The character archetypes we see in modern films are simply contemporary versions of these ancient myths. In the realm of motion pictures, as in life, the hero is the focal point of the story. The hero archetype dominates top-of-mind awareness in the collective social consciousness.'
With exceptional compassion and leadership Will divides his book into three parts – Date with Destiny, Map of Self-Discovery, and Hero’s Inner Journey – and with eager absorption each of these sections instill a passion for the Hero’s Journey. It is a stunning book destined to be a contemporary guidebook for all who care about living a rich life. Or better yet, Will’s closing remarks – ‘1. Life isn’t easy. Don’t expect it to be. 2. You were born to flourish. Live well. 3. You are the hero of your life. Act like it.’
This book was gifted to me from a dear friend, as I explore a mid-career transition. I found it to be heavy on the "coaching" / "enthusiasm" side of "exploring your role in the action-adventure of a lifetime" rather than practical exercises or tips (which I prefer, and would be more useful at my current juncture). The good parts are that the author doesn't shy away from sharing his own experience when it's relevant, and it's written very accessibly (short sentences, clear ideas), and he takes a very heterogeneous approach to the guidance style: there's a different motivational quote for every point made. I think this book would work best for those in the contemplation stage of making some big change in their life, or stalled somehow on that path and looking to be re-inspired.
However I do have a major issue with this book. The backbone of the approach is based on Joseph Campbell's "Hero's Journey" arc (which is a way used to structure storytelling) and LOTS of examples from movies. Readers, I was keeping track and there was NOT ONE SINGLE EXAMPLE THAT WASN'T A WHITE MAN. It's an indictment of the film industry, of course, that so many of what we consider classic hero narratives are demonstrated this way, but quite honestly, also of this author that he didn't try - or seemingly even think to try - to diversify the examples. Yes, I am still mad about that. Even the "hero's journey" arc has been critiqued for being sexist, racist and outdated as a storytelling tool.
So: if you're in need of some classic enthusiastic coaching to get started on your path, and you are a white man, this book might work for you.
As I travel new paths, I discovered Living the Hero's Journey. I found the book engaging and inspiring. The hero's journey is revealed to be our personal quests towards self-actualization, and more open, full and altruistic engagement with our social world. Craig uses ancient mythology, contemporary film and humor to guide us along our own personal journeys in a way made easily accessible and relatable. These quests are part of our archetypal humanness: ageless and universal. This is a thought-provoking book that the reader will likely read more than once.
Will Craig offers an insightful view of what life is about and how to truly live the Hero’s Journey. It perfectly mirrors by own journey and offers the reader the encouragement and insights to realize one’s full potential.
Learn to be a hero or heroine in the story of your life. Learn to listen to your inner voice and follow that voice to find out who the "true you" is. It won't be simple or easy, because life isn't easy.
A self help books riding the coattails of the hero's journey concept. He talked a lot about his own life without telling us why we should care. Has he been successful? Who knows.
There are some beautiful paragraphs in here. Overall, I’m satisfied. At the same time, it fell short for me. Maybe I failed to appreciate the chapter structure and the adaptation of the Hero’s Journey. I hope it works for you.
Lots of positive affirmations and general good tips but not much in depth work on figuring out your life. Go with your talent is good advise if you have discovered what your talent is. If you haven't found it yet that all of that advise is premature.