The Hero in The Age of Worry

A narrative for those to seek within, not without, in a world of change

I suffer from a condition of momentum or lack thereof. The effort to gain forward movement can be oppressive if not already in motion. The condition is brought on by a debilitating amount of thoughts born from fear and worry.

A little over a year ago I was in the middle of a significant career change. I was transitioning from military to civilian life with a pregnant wife and very little income. I had been pursuing an opportunity that I felt very confident about – buying a small business. However, that opportunity suddenly turned sour, and I had to walk away from it.?

At a complete loss of what to do next, I lost momentum and started to feel overwhelmed with the weight of worry for the future. My mind immediately searched for the easiest solution; to stay put, pursue financial security, and avoid discomfort.?

In my moment of personal crisis, I hoped for someone to come to the rescue. The reality is, no external caped crusader will heroically appear. Overcoming fear and worry, rejecting the easy answer, and building momentum must come from within. We must each become the hero of our own stories.?

The stories of heroes have been around as long as there have been human beings with a story to tell. The hero's story crosses time and cultural barriers. A narrative that we all can identify with universally. We owe the recognition of this narrative and structure to a man named Joseph Campbell, who observed the pattern by studying how humans created heroes throughout history. He called it the Monomyth, more popularly known as The Hero's Journey.

Becoming a hero does not happen overnight; it takes time and struggle. Conveniently, Joseph Campbell built a step-by-step guide to heroism based on our own psychology. The hero’s journey can be mapped upon our own lives in order to orient ourselves. These steps help build momentum, a way to navigate our own narrative in becoming the hero in the age of worry…

Step 1: The ordinary world?

I was in the midst of a large career transition. I had an idea of what I might want to do, but getting there seemed impossible. Being weighted down by fears and worries of what may come next almost stopped me from exploring new opportunities.

We can all find ourselves feeling trapped in the ordinary. The day-to-day grind becomes monotonous and mundane. You find yourself jaded. Is this all that life has to offer for us in this age of worry? For those frozen in fear of change, it may very well be. However, for the few that answer the call to adventure, this could be the beginning.?

Step 2: The call to adventure

When navigating my career transition I had many excuses: family, stability, finances, and consistency. They were very easy buttons to push. Over time, opportunities arose but were denied; they required too many logistics, too much stress, and the weight of change was daunting.

We must move away from the easy excuses. What if, today or tomorrow, opportunity strikes again? A phone call from an office that you applied to years ago, an opportunity to serve for an organization overseas, or an old friend with a business that needs help. Put the excuses aside, and understand that this may be the opportunity to answer the call.

Step 3: Refusal of the call

I half-assed my first massive interview at a life-changing opportunity. I convinced myself I had no shot. I told myself it would require far too much work to move, learn a new skill, and perform at least adequately.

If you got the call right now, is the answer likely ‘no’, or even ‘hell no’? We tell ourselves the answer would be yes. But ultimately, the worried and rationalized answer will win and the opportunity will pass for many. Denying the call too many times may lead to a cynical or disillusioned outlook. Submitting to the mental trap of disillusionment will tarnish future aspirations. Worry eliminates the opportunity for change.

Step 4: Find the mentor

By some stroke of luck, the first interviewer was a gracious person and I was moved to a second interview. At this point, I realized that I needed to get away from my own thoughts and seek out wisdom from people I trusted to give the words I needed, not the ones I wanted.

Overcoming worries and your own self-destructive thoughts has a secret solution: a mentor. Around us are wise and experienced individuals ready to teach and coach. Look at any great adventure story – Star Wars, Lord of The Rings – where an older, wiser guide enters the narrative, intent on shaping the path forward and pressing the protagonist into action. These mentors persist and help the protagonist cut through initial concerns. After spending a little time with the mentor, the protagonist cuts their fear and worry and heads into the unknown.?

Mentors are an underrated source of goodness in this world. They want to give back and stoke the fire within. They speak from a wealth of experience and knowledge, giving us the strength and confidence to turn angst into action. No significant progress happens if there is no wise and impartial council. Find your mentor.

Step 5: Cross the threshold

After long and challenging discussions with my mentors, I decided to commit to this opportunity. I opened the door, took the step, and started the momentum. Moving forward, even a step, is no small task. The burden of action is on each individual, but we are not meant to do it alone.

There will be a call to adventure where the natural response is to avoid the call. With mentors, the call can be made less daunting. They can instill wisdom, give hope, and stoke confidence. Knowing there is someone who has your back will give internal confidence otherwise not found. Trusting your mentors and being ready to open new doors is the first step to conquering worry. The first step into the adventure.

Step 6: Enemies, obstacles, and allies

As soon as I changed course and crossed the threshold onto a new path, the naysayers started to plant seeds of doubt. The decision to take on this challenge meant uprooting everything and moving across the country with my pregnant wife, again. People questioned the change of direction due to the risks that accompanied it.?

This journey is not for the faint of heart and carries a significant amount of risk. It can be lonely, require extreme patience, and be dangerous. It will not go to plan, and revisions will happen. People, out of their own fear, will cast doubts and wish for your failure. This is all part of the journey. They want you to suffer the mundane life with them. In this adventure, suffering is a privilege in pursuit of something greater.?

The initial fire of adventure will dwindle. Faith will falter, and you will fall, but this path is not desolate. Other brave souls are traveling and will extend a hand, stoke your fire, and strengthen your faith. These allies are the true key to continue on this journey. Find the allies in life and lean on one another. The path cannot be traveled alone. Defeat enemies, overcome obstacles, do not do it alone.?

Step 7: Embrace the darkness?

There was a point where I was commuting three hours to work on a Sunday, staying in a place I could barely afford, working all week, and then commuting three hours back to my pregnant wife. We were burning money, hardly spending time together, and had no idea how to make it all work once the baby came.

At this point, the journey turns to darkness. It becomes lonely. Success seems further away than when the initial step was taken. Know that it is the beginning of the end. The inevitable moment in every journey where the weight of the decision hits a maximum load. Allies are away, mentors out of reach, the path is harder to see, and you are truly alone. This is the time to stay the course. Welcome the darkness, fight through. Keep reaching out with endless hope of finding your allies. Know that this will end and there will be daylight again. Welcome the darkness and fight through.

Step 8: Slay the Dragon

Within the time of darkness, I decided to fight my thoughts. Fight my desire to find an easier way and reach out and talk to as many people as I could. Over time, those conversations continued to spur me on. Telling me to fight through, conquer my mind, and find the light.

As the darkness persists, voices grow louder, saying to turn back. Saying that only failure and pain are ahead and that better people than you haven’t succeeded. The voices become as formidable as dragons. When facing it, it becomes unavoidable. These voices can be debilitating and overwhelming because they come from within. Alone, this may very well be the end. But this is not the end. The adventure has afforded you friends, allies, and mentors that have been forged from the same fire. They will provide the support and hands needed to strike down the voices and conquer the fear. This is the moment when you become the hero and the hero becomes you. The hero in the age of worry.

Step 9: The treasure

After all of the change, doubts, and fears I finally received the opportunity. Landing on a team and position that embraced me. The road was traveled, and enemies fought. Voices put to rest, monsters slain, and allies made.

The door locked before is now open, and you can seize the reward. The opportunity reached a climax and all of the pain and struggles are behind. Stability is now in sight after a long road. You are the hero in the age of worry. Looking back, the journey was long, challenging, and filled with failures. The first step led to many challenges but the treasure at the end is now here. The box is waiting to be opened and the journey can finally be at an end… For now. Treasures are temporary.

Step 10: The hero’s heart

Immediately as I got what I was striving for, I realized that it would not be everything I needed. I felt a sense of fear.

As the treasure is held, you feel a deep sense of fear. All the work, time, and suffering, and the hero recognizes that the treasure was not what they expected. What you hold feels useless. Within the heart of the hero bubbles up anger, frustration, and resentment for making the first step. All you gave up has seemingly amounted to nothing.?

I called up my mentors out of fear for the future. As ones who have lived these fears, they calmly said that I had succeeded when I took the first step. The journey is the destination. They said to embrace what the journey taught, enjoy the immense opportunity, and to be patient for when the call of the adventure comes again.

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” - Philippians 3:13

The mentor shows the hero how far they came, how strong they became, the allies made, and the enemies conquered. The true treasure was within the journey, it was unlocked when the hero realized they could cross the threshold. The treasure was the growth and connection. With this, your view of the world changes and you are finally forged by the adventure. The journey is the destination.

Step 11: Return changed

Life is better than I could have imagined at present. Stability is a beautiful thing when raising a young family, which is its own journey. My perspective has changed and my understanding of challenges with it.

With treasure in hand and heart, the path to normalcy begins. Rest is necessary at the end of this road. As you return to normalcy, there will be recognizable change. Once the rest has been had, the routine of life sets in, and the world begins to spin with regularity; you will find yourself yearning for the road once again. The change occurred, the hero of the story is you, but that was only one story. How many more to be had? How many journeys can one embark upon? Who can be helped along the journey? Who can be mentored into taking the first step? The view of worry and fear has changed now, and so has the life around us. The pursuit of change.?

Step 12: The treasure, shared

The journey has ended. We have found that mentors and allies along the journey are the key to success. That the journey must come before the destination. Dragons will always need to be slain. As one who has had their own hero’s journey, I find myself writing this with new worries and fears that will have to be conquered. As I gear up for the next adventure I will consult my mentors and continue to gather allies. I will certainly find my way back to the road for the next journey.?

The appreciation of the journey is what prepares you to be the hero when the adventure arises. Know that you must be the hero of your story.? I hope you see you along the way. Worry and fear of change will stop you, if allowed. Laid out before you is the structure, but the step is yours to take, and it is well past time to take the step. Be the hero in the age of worry.

Thank you for those who bore the weight of reading rough drafts and giving critical feedback: Jessica Blocker Abraham Blocker Ryan Barents Katherine Blocker Phil de Haan Garret Peterson Jim Blocker