The Hero's Journey

This week in our Intro to Entrepreneurship class we reviewed a talk entitled The Hero’s Journey. 

My interpretation of the premise of the talk is that at the end of life, most people will ask themselves three questions:

1.       Have I contributed something meaningful?

2.      Am I a good person?

3.      And who did I love, and who loved me?

What is really interesting to me about these questions is that they could be applied across all spectrums of life.  Those that achieve extraordinary fame or fortunes (or both) and those that led quiet, obscure lives have I contributed something meaningful? Am I a good person? And who did I love, and who loved me? must face them equally.  It also occurred to me that seeking to contribute something meaningful could be a dangerous quest.  How many on their journey have abandoned the second two questions to obtain some glory that feels meaningful?  Therefore, my thinking is that the Hero’s Journey is the quest to be able to answer all three questions in the affirmative, without compromising the importance of any question individually.   

When it comes to finding something meaningful, Mr. Sandefer lays out a wonderful guide. Not his exact words but questions similar to these: Where do you find your flow?  What is easy and a joy to do?  What work would you do for fun? 

I have faith that it isn’t too late, and that someone like me can find an entrepreneurial calling in the middle of my life and have some fun doing it.  I continue to find this class lining up with the same questions I have had over the last couple of years – primarily centered around this; I don’t feel I am where I should be professionally and what should I do about it.  The answers I am finding interestingly are not about a business idea or how to run a business but are tied to being a good person and aligning with God.  Be a good person, love others and do meaningful things.  

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