A Hero’s Journey

Mulan, Nemo, Kung Fu Panda, Moana, Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, and yes our beloved sisters Elsa and Anna. The story may seem different but each of these heroes is on a journey of adventure, identity, and life meaning. The reason we get hooked and root for these heroes is because they all share the same story, the story that American professor of literature Joseph Campbell refers to as the “monomyth” or the Hero’s Journey. We root for these heroes because we see ourselves in them, they are a mirror, a reminder that life is for living, exploring, failing, and most of all trying!

At Acton we believe every child is a genius and is on a hero’s journey to change the world. It’s important to note that we aren’t talking about “super heroes”. Our definition of a hero is an ordinary person who gets back up after falling down. Someone who takes responsibility rather than blaming others when things get hard and who shares their inner gifts to meet the needs around them. The treasure that we seek isn’t the object of the quest but the transformation that happens along the way. Heroes can cross cultural barriers, can uncover mysteries of the world, and even with small changes can move mountains. EVERY single learner at Acton and you too can be a hero and answer the call for adventure.

This session we began to weave the concept and terminology of the hero’s journey into the everyday fabric of our Acton. You may have heard of our moon hero Neil Armstrong or hero scientist Thomas Edison as we explored Science this session. Next session we plan on building and deepening our hero stories as we explore a Chess Quest. This video will be shown to learners and is a great way to understand core qualities that make a hero.

How to use the hero’s journey at home? Tell lots of stories and use the identity of a hero as a reflection tool when things get hard. You could say “I love you and know this is hard. You are a hero. A hero doesn’t quit, a hero gets back up and tries again.”