Refusal of Return
Refusal of Return
At this point in the mythic quest, the goal has been accomplished and the main character may just want to sit and enjoy the victory. And we should enjoy our victories.
But in the ancient myths these victories occur in realms that normal people don’t live in. They aren’t good or bad places, they’re just different.
Way back at the beginning of our journey we learned that answering the call to adventure meant stepping into a different world. One that made us seperate from the other people who didn’t have an adventure.
Sometimes things that happen force us to feel different than others, and the adventure through the monomyth brings us the skills to heal.
Once we have these healing skills, we continue to have a different skill set because of our life experiences. It doesn’t matter how long the healing process takes, it always sets us apart.
This different realm… the heroes’ journey realm… won’t keep us stuck but we often do want stay in our victories. However, If we stay in the victory of one moment for too long, we stop looking for the next adventure.
When we stop looking for the next adventure, or questing to discover, we lose out on what life could have for us.
This is called Refusing to Return.
Maybe you’re thinking, “I don’t want to go back to the way I was!” And that’s a good thing. That’s the right attitude and goal. But you’re not returning to the way you were when you first started.
You get to return with skills, wisdom and story. And that triumph is worth the journey!
At this point, if you feel secure enough… look back where you were when we first started this and do an inventory of the things you’ve learned. Not just me or this blog - but in life as well.
Those learned things turn into skills and wisdom.
When you pass on those skills and wisdom - you do that through stories.
And that’s why your stories are amazing!
Perpetual Disclaimer for this series:
I am not a counselor or a mental health professional. I am going to attempt to avoid things which will cause alarm or harm, but I can't know what will trigger each individual. If you need to speak to a mental health professional please know that there are resources available.
Your stories are amazing!
Chronic Writer