Where are you in your heroic journey?
This is not a rhetorical question. Nor should your answer be flippant. You are who you are today as a result of many years and experiences. And, I am sure you agree that the journey has not been particularly easy, but it has been an adventure.
Out of our setbacks, and even failures, we have been afforded the opportunity to develop our grit and tenacity. Encountering difficulty and learning to cope with whatever has been presented in our life has made us stronger and more masterful. A strong foundation of Self-Regard complements the journey to Self-Actualization.
If you take time to think about your journey as your own hero, you will recognize that it began with a call that you just couldn’t ignore. This calling required that you put aside outmoded ways of being and face unknown challenges.
Can you remember that moment of insight?
To move forward into the unknown, the hero questions everything, including self.
At the core of your heroic journey is your acceptance of your true self. This acceptance comes through self-assessment, reflection, and oftentimes painful exploration of insufficiencies and deficiencies. Acceptance of your true self requires brutal honesty and a strong foundation of Self-Regard.
If you don’t recall those moments of blinding insight and uncomfortable self-awareness, perhaps you think you haven’t begun your journey. Know that denial can only last so long. Know that going back is not an option and that stagnation leads to decay - eventually death. Rather than struggling through resistance, you can be liberated by taking one step forward. And, then another.
Your Heroic Journey Guidebook
Your heroic journey doesn’t have a final destination, per se. However, your steps forward toward Self-Actualization require careful attention, focus, and even vigilance to assess where you are and how to become your “best self”.
In The Blueprint: 6 Practical Steps to Lift Your Leadership to New Heights (Wiley, 2020), authors Doug Conant and Amy Federman share their experience, research, and expertise.
According to Conant, many leaders today are blocked from embarking on their heroic journey because they are “trying to live the corporate story,” rather than their own story. In their attempt to fulfill the expectations of the outside world, they “fail to reconcile the inside world, and remain stuck.”
To liberate your heroic journey, I encourage you to create an entourage of excellence, uncover your individual leadership stories (both personal and professional), and bring those stories to life.
In the next post, I will explore how we can all do just that.
In the meantime, what do you think? Where are you in your heroic journey? I’d love to hear from you.
You can reach me on LinkedIn, and on Maestro’s Facebook. Or click to Get in Touch.
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- Check out the online mini-course Your Building Blocks to Emotional Well-Being and Resilience.
- Learn more about the practice of Entourage of ExcellenceTM – How to Build Your Leadership Entourage, ConantLeadership
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