Joseph Campbell wrote about these stages in his book The Hero’s Journey. He wrote about 12
Stages, and from those I have extracted five stages that we go through over and
over again in our life if we are open to change and growth.
In any story, movie or life in order to see any evidence of
change we must have a clear understanding of the before and after…the beginning
and the end. The beginning of every story originates in what Joseph Campbell
calls the Ordinary World. All of us start out in our Ordinary World. It might
be a physical place, but it also includes our frame of mind, our beliefs and
our habits. Even once we’ve gone through all five stages and return home…that
new home becomes our Ordinary World that we will eventually get called out of
again if we are to continue growing and evolving.
Our Ordinary World is our comfort zone. It is what feels
familiar. Often we are so comfortable that we are reluctant to leave or change,
even if we are unhappy. Yet there will be a Call that comes to invite us to
venture out of the Land of Familiar to explore new possibilities. An example we
see in the Wizard of Oz is Dorothy in
the black and white world of Kansas. She lives with her aunt and uncle and her
dog Toto. This is her familiar world, but she is not happy there. She
experiences challenges and feels a tug of Divine Discontent when she wonders
what life would be like somewhere else…over the rainbow.
Your Ordinary World could be your job, your family situation
or even some beliefs that you have been comfortable holding that perhaps don’t
serve you anymore. For example, if you’ve been feeling a tug to quit smoking,
your Ordinary World is that of a smoker. If you are a young adult living at
home with your parents, then that is your Ordinary World. At some point you
will be called to leave that world. It’s not bad where you are, but we are
always called to grow and that usually requires we leave what feels ordinary
and comfortable to embrace something new.
Some more examples from movies: Neo (Matrix) in his world as a computer programmer, Luke (Star Wars) living with his aunt and
uncle, Katniss (Hunger Games)
struggling for food in District 12, Marlin (Finding
Nemo) living in fear in his corner of the ocean.
EXERCISE: Getting
in touch with your Ordinary World.
Think about the world in which you live at present. What are
your physical surroundings? Where do you live and work? What beliefs are you
holding? What daily habits have gotten all too familiar? There is nothing wrong
with where you are now. Now think about where you’ve been? How have you changed
and how has your ordinary life changed? You are not the same person you were 10
years ago, or 5 years ago and maybe even 1 year ago. What has changed? How have
you changed? Our Ordinary World changes many times over a lifetime.
Watch for a post to follow where we will explore THE CALL to
leave our Ordinary World and explore new adventures.
If you are interested in reading more about these stages you
can find Reel Transformation: Your Life Now
Playing at: https://www.createspace.com/4814039
and on Amazon.
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