Hero's Journey Part 2 Entering the Wood

Hero’s Journey, Part 2

In the first part of the hero’s journey (based on the work of Joseph Campbell and others) the call to adventure was answered (or we wouldn't be here). After accepting the call and the inherent challenges, the next step is entering “the woods,” the place of the unknown where the journey truly begins.

“You enter the forest
at the darkest point,
where there is no path.
Where there is a way or path,
it is someone else's path.
You are not on your own path.
If you follow someone else's way,
you are not going to realize
your potential.” (Campbell)

For me, starting WA and finding one’s own path feels like selecting the niche. Your niche becomes your entry into the woods. We’re encouraged to be authentic, to write about something meaningful to us so that in time we can share it with others. It takes work to get in touch with the spark within our hearts. Am I doing this with the idea of making money first and foremost, or am I first adding value, assuming (hoping) the money will follow.

And then we will intuitively know “where to enter the forest,” entering at a point of originality, even if the niche has been done a thousand times before. Zappos wasn’t the first one to sell shoes (as we’ve been talking about this week), but the uniqueness of their entry point into the forest, or marketplace, was clearly their own.

Entering the woods is the first step, it takes courage, a full pack of supplies, self-care, and a prayer.

I have entered the woods at my own unique starting point. Modeling someone’s success can be quite helpful, but the path must be your own.

How did you recognize your own unique starting point?