Category Archives: Myth

Personal observations gained from writing about, and living, Myth Hope and Life

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I have been writing about Myth, Hope and Life for more than 45 consecutive days.  The experience has been humbling to say the least.  I’ve noticed changes in my thinking, my behaviour and I’ve seen life patterns start to emerge.  By no means do I believe that I’ve arrived as an enlightened, fully engaged hero of my own life.  However, signals or nuances are playing out in my life, and I’d like to share them with you now.

There are some things I’ve learned about myself, and others that I’m starting to perceive; the nuances I mentioned above.  Over the past few days, I’ve pulled together a list of changes.  I’ve summarized them here in the hopes that they will continue to help me focus on becoming all I can be, and to also, hopefully, offer some useful info to other heroes seeking to find their way in the world.

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A mini-quest and a chance to re-connect

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I know I was going to write about what I’ve learned thus far from writing about Myth, Hope and Life.  However, I want to first write about a spontaneous chance to go on a mini-quest and to re-connect with my daughter.

My wife was out tonight, and that left my daughter and I as free agents.  Once our daughter returned home from a hang-out with friends, the adventure began.  Well, an adventure for us, even if it does not look like a grand adventure here!

At 10 pm, we set out in search of ice cream, and eventually found a shop that was open and could help.  Along the way, we played a mobile app called Akinator, which asks you to select a person – famous or not – and it asks a series of questions in an attempt to guess their name or connection to you, if personal.

Then, we went home and watched episodes of Modern Family till mid-night, and had a ball.

As you can imagine, when you have a teenager, they have very little time for their parents.  At that age, it’s all about friends, school, and for us, drama!

But, tonight, we hung out, and laughed, and talked.  The best night ever!  A return to an old Friday-night ritual that we had lost for a couple years.

Sometimes the quest before us seems like just another day.  However, those mini-quests can make all the difference, for the moments they deliver.  I’m a grateful man tonight.

Standing at the crossroads

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I’m standing at the crossroads these days – today – now.  The quest is calling to me, and I’ve verbally said: “Yes”.  But, I don’t know where to go with it.

I feel the need – a deep desire even – to find an opportunity, that to use terminology from my sister, keeps me away from “the dark side”.  The dark side is what I know.  It is comfortable.  I will not say it’s easy.  It gave me heart disease, and two stents.

But, it’s what I know.  However, I also know it’s not where my passion lies.

The dark side allows me to solve a financial problem I have today.  And, I may have to take that path for a few years, until I figure out – somehow – where my light side is located.

Writing this feels like a total cop out, and it is, I know.

I have to find the strength to keep moving along the path to the light side.  It’s time for this hero to be brave.  The dragon is breathing down on me.  I can feel its fire on my body.

The decision is to be my own hero, or become a serf in someone else’s story.

I want to say that I’ve decided to be a hero, but I’m at the crossroads, and feel a strong pull to turn and run away.  The dragon is winning … tonight, it’s winning.

At the Apple store on iPhone 5S day

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Today, I acted as chauffeur for a couple who wanted to get the first iPhone 5S at the Apple store.

We arrived at 7 am and found about 150 people in line outside Sherway mall, in Toronto.

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I know this blog is about personal myths, but it is also about the power of myth – in our lives, in our past, our future. So, why not also about the myth of a brand? Let’s have a little fun …

Full disclosure: I own an iPhone 5.

Love them, or not, one cannot deny that Apple has created a myth around their brand – based on great design, packaging, the user experience, etc.

That myth is so strong within their tribe, that they will camp out for the newest Apple phone – overnight, if need be.

Commercialism aside, isn’t it cool that this myth has such strong pull with these folks?

How would our lives change, if we could find such a powerful myth for our own lives?

It would pull us along our path – and into an awesome quest!

I’m just sayin’ …

Tonight, I saw a live band (Anathema). They are Hero’s in my world.

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I just got home from a concert in Toronto.  The headline was a British group called Anathema.  It was an excellent concert by a band who should be much bigger than they are today.

Their songs are so well written, with beautiful lyrics, and amazing musicality – case in point:  A Natural Disaster.  Wonderful!

I so enjoyed watching the band obviously loving what they were doing on stage, for a very appreciative Toronto crowd.  They were in flow, and living at their very best – their most authentic selves.

I consider those who live with passion, and who are true to their higher selves to be real Heroes in this world.  We can be shown the path by those on it now.

The quest is there.  The path is open.

This Hero is not always brave, but he has Hope

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I don’t always know what to write about as I contemplate each daily entry in this myth blog. However, the commitment to daily writing is a key commitment I made (to myself) when starting.

It occurred to me that my hero’s journey is not one in which I’m always overly brave. That sometimes makes it difficult to write about myth, hope and abundance for my life.

But, I have this eternal Hope in my life that by moving forward each day – sometimes without full knowledge or a detailed plan – that it’ll work out.

Just as the commitment to daily writing is moving me forward, so is the commitment to daily action.  With Hope.

Taking your own path may not be what others want for you

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As I’ve been considering my path or quest of late, I’ve come to realize that my path may not be what others want for me.  Or, the path others think I should be taking.

Each of us has to strive to live as authentic a life as possible, and that may mean our wishes go counter to those around us.

I’m obviously not speaking of being reckless on the path, just doing what my heart tells me is right – for me.

I’ve come to realize that being the hero of my own life, may not make me a hero in someone else’s life.  But, that’s the gig.

A myth a day …

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The funny thing about looking for and finding myth in your life: you find it!

Here’s to the quest, and the myth(s) surrounding it.

Bravery and the Call

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As so often happens as I go through my day, and think about that day’s post, a theme occurred to me: I have not been very brave.

I have held off on acknowledging my ideal next opportunity – for fear that if I do, then I’ll have to live up to it. That is part of my Hero’s Call. And, that reluctance has been my Refusal of the Call, as outlined by Joseph Campbell in “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”.

There are any number of good reasons for not taking a step towards that ideal, with financial concerns at the top of the list. Not far behind is fear. Followed by past failures.

But, this blog is about addressing those fears, heeding the call, and living a full life.

My ideal is to start, run and grow a business that allows me the freedom to live my life on my terms.

Issue: What business? What do I love to do that I could build into a business?

I honestly believe that when I answer that question, and take the first step, then forces will conspire to help me realize the dream. It will involve work, time, risk and luck to be sure.

But, it’ll be a brave move for this hero.

It’s frustrating not having a direction in which to focus my Myth

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As you know, I’m currently on a Quest for a new career opportunity.  That is a worthy quest, and I know it.  And, there are many elements of this quest that could make for good writing.

My personal challenge and frustration is finding the daily dragon(s) to slay on this quest.  What are the monsters that are ravaging the world, and which need to be removed?  And, how do I relate them to my personal experience from the point of view of my myths?

I get the sense I’m missing something here.  This feeling has dogged me for a while now.  I want to keep this blog and the writing fresh and relevant – for me, and for anyone who’s reading, too.

My intuition is telling me to keep taking the next step, and then the next, on this path.  It’s all I’ve got right now, so I’ll take it.

Tomorrow is another day!