Hero's Journey Stage 1: Ordinary World

Stage 1: Ordinary World

The “You are here” point on your map is the status quo of your existence. It is the movement from day to day, week to week, year to year, that pushes us through time without a second thought. Before we can begin any journey, though, we must know our starting point. We must understand where we are beginning.  Much like with any good story, we begin as we would expect. For Bilbo Baggins, it was “in a hole in the ground. Not a nasty, dirty hole filled with worms and oozy smells, but a Hobbit hole, which meant good food, a warm hearth, and all the comforts of home.” (Also, I promise that not all of the stages contain Hobbit references!)

Most of us have a standard routine: work days all look alike, days off all look alike, and even our vacation time is pretty predictable. It is our routines that help us to feel comfortable. It is our routines that help us to feel safe.  These routines are what help us to find a sense of home, no matter what may be swirling around us. For some of us, the swirl may be light, like small leaves caught in a spiraling autumn gust. For others, the whirlwind may have us seeking the eye of the storm as a place of peace and refuge. No matter where it is that we find our comfort, our home within our hearts, let us begin there.

As we light this first candle on our hero’s journey, we light it in honor of where we are.

Guided Meditation: You Are Here

In the light of the first flame, rest into yourself.
Close your eyes and breathe deeply.
Feel your body, strong and solid, beneath you.
Feel your breath, bringing in the fresh, clean air and sending out your worries and fears.
Feel your blood, your life force, flowing through you, invigorating and animating you.
You are whole, just as you are.
Breathe deeply and ask yourself, “Where am I?”
In your mind’s eye, take stock of where “here” is for you:
Where are you on the journey of your career?
Where are you in relation to your family relationships?
Where are you in your divine relationships?
Breathe deeply and answer these questions for yourself.
Knowing where we are brings us the strength of a foundation
And the gift of perspective so that we may begin moving forward.

As you open your eyes, reflect for a moment on where you are, and consider a journal entry for your thoughts.