My Rewards In My Journey

Accomplishments in my life have really given me a new understanding for myself and others and allowed for personal growth. One accomplishment has provoked this growth: being inducted into the National Honor Society. The society helps me to think differently about other people and learn of ways I could become a better person. This experience has shown me the importance of hard work, never giving up, social interaction, and helping others.

All heroes around the world go through a journey of their own. Those journeys can be a physical, , mental, emotional journey, and lots more. These types of personal journeys are demonstrated in an epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, an interview, The Hero’s adventure by Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers, a short poem, Courage by Anne Sexton, a graphic novel, The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds. They all show how journeys can be transformative and show a person’s strengths and/or weaknesses.

The personal experiences I have had along the way have aided in shaping my character. For example, this year I had the privilege of being elected to the board of my school’s National French Honor Society. Our induction ceremony for new members was taking place and much preparation had to be done in a short amount of time. As a new board member, I took charge and made sure every detail of the ceremony was perfect. From decorations, food, audio and video, I did it all. My teacher and head of the honor society was very impressed by my leadership and “take charge” approach that she appointed me the new President of the French Honor Society for the 2015-2016 school years. That event allowed me to see my true potential as someone who works well with others as a leader, and my ability to work under pressure to achieve results. I have always strived to be the best I can be and excel at whatever task I set out to do. By having the opportunity to attend The United States Naval Academy, it would allow me to continue to challenge myself academically as well as strengthen my leadership and discipline. I would also be honored to serve my country as an officer, giving back to this great country that has been so good to me and my family for generations. All of my life I have been told that I am a very determined individual with a strong presence and desire to lead. It only seems right that I further develop myself

But, most importantly, I learned how to lead and I became useful to the world. Just hearing the title reminds me of my greatest achievement and acts as a pick-me-up whenever I feel poor. The rank got me closer to my family and friends through learning how to treat them with respect and kindness. I have better preparation and planning, even if the plans pertain to far ahead in the future. My faith in God and His guidance improved because of my hope and belief in His assistance in helping me. I feel more giving and charitable from learning that I do not need what I want, and someone else more deserving should receive them. Additionally, it looks fantastic on résumés and applications and can give me that needed edge over anyone else. I could automatically advance two ranks in the military and become an officer if I enlist.

Change is inevitable. Whether it be positive or negative, change is constantly happening. More than often change can take you from the known world and spit you into the unknown, where you return a changed person. While embarking on the journeys provoked by change, you are on a hero’s journeys. The hero’s journey was popularized by Joseph Campbell. When describing what prompts hero’s journeys, Joseph Campbell said,

The hero’s journey is an ongoing concept used in many tales which involves a hero who goes on an adventure, wins a victory, and then comes home changed or transformed. In the society that we live in, the hero becomes a hero by attaining in what they believe in for the good of others. Among the numerous tales which the hero’s journey is utilized there are some that stand out more compared to others. Star Wars which is an extremely popular film known by many which clearly demonstrates the hero’s journey. The hero in this film is known as Luke Skywalker whom goes through all the ordeals and comes out as a hero.

Taking the time to pick apart the hero’s actions and thoughts can make the journey much more interesting and easier to understand. By understanding the basic characteristics and the stages of the hero’s journey we can not only understand the story more but we can also understand ourselves more. We can learn new ways to relate to heroes and our peers we did not know of before. In conclusion, the hero’s journey is a great way to learn a new lesson or two, learn more about yourself, and be entertained at the same

The Hero’s Journey is a situational archetype of every story made, whether it’s a poem, narrative or film they all tell this Journey.

Small or big, everything we do in life is part of our journey. Reg Harris’ “The Hero’s Journey” describes the voyage one takes throughout life to grow and change as a person. He breaks the journey down into eight steps leading to the return. It starts out as a goal that isn’t always easy to reach, one goes through hardship and personal doubts only to succeed and become a better person. An example of this journey can be found in the movie, Troy through the character Achilles. Achilles is a strong fearless warrior in the movie, Troy who goes through “The Hero’s Journey” and ends up with a change of heart.

Life is a precious gift, as you only get one chance to become your best self. In life everyone has hopes and dreams to find their calling to potentially make a difference in the world. In literature we are presented with an abundance of epic hero stories, referring to fictional or non-fictional characters that have made a difference in their world. These characters grant the reader with entertaining stories pertaining to historical or fictional events that reflect the hero’s journey to making a triumphant change. Joseph Campbell’s theory that every hero has a similar journey to becoming their best self commences with a call to an adventure. The call to adventure is the first and most important step in Joseph Campbell’s hero monomyth, “A hero with a Thousand Faces.”

My life is a spitting image of the aphorism, "The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones", by William Faulkner, because of the way I value myself and time. My life projects this aphorism by showing that I often have to start from the very bottom to get to the top, and that I encounter various situations. And it depicts that I have ambition and that hard-work pays off. I am like the man who removes the mountain by carrying small stones away.

How is my life like Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey? I can really relate to Joseph Campbell’s story because I was put into a very similar situation. There were many stages that were always challenging so to speak the, “call to adventure” or “crossing the threshold”. I might not be a hero, but my life still faces journeys and conflicts just like a real hero. Also, when i reflect my life as a youtuber to his Hero’s Journey, I can always see some type of similarity.

Anyone can be a hero, no matter where they come from, they could be your neighbor or be in the next town over, in another state or even in another country. Luis Gonzalez, born and raised in a small farm in Jalisco Mexico was eighteen years old when his own personal hero journey began. A “Heroes Journey” is a seventeen stage itinerary divided into three segments listed in order; Departure, Initiation and Return. These stages consist of what the hero in the story will do in their journey according to Joseph Campbell’s book, Hero with a Thousand Faces.

hero's journey is not solely “applicable to fiction but also to the journeys that everyone goes

Life sometimes seems scary. The fear of failure and the fear of the unknown make a person rethink its choices and goals, this happens all the time. As time passes, be days, moths, years or only simply one experience can change our whole vision of the world, about life, about what really matters and consequently about our goals. Throughout my whole life I have questioned so many aspects of my life, of existence, and consequently about my future. I never stopped wanting to achieve something big, that could change the whole world, some amazing adventure that would be the one thing that would give birth to all the amazing things that could happen next. As time passed I realized that life itself is one big adventure, and that what I will do every day will matter for me and for the people around me. I realized that life is not some perfect movie where there are good guys, bad guys and that in the end of one amazing journey everything would be solved. It may be a childish vision of the world, but it had motivated me for years to do the thing I believed would help me achieve this, and to believe in myself. Obviously as I grew up, I saw what the world really looked like, that sacrifices have to be made, that there are things which no one can control, that if I want something I have to work really hard. In today society everything counts.