A Hero's Adventure

Barack Obama, the current contesting Democratic as the President of the United States to me was a male version of Oprah Winfrey. And I could not be more right especially after I read a fantastic book called 'Exporing Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey in Contemporary American Society' which highlighted the journey of four Heros: Lance Armstrong, Rudy Guiliani, Barrack Obama and Oprah Winfrey. When these heros speak, they speak from the heart and it is by pulling the heart strings of the common people that makes people relate to them. Reason why Barrack Obama could rise so fast to the top of the election ladder despite being black and having the least campaigning budget to begin with.

This book begun by highlighting that every hero has their own journey which usually contain a call to adventure. This call to adventure is the stepping out of these heros from their comfort zone into an element that they need to carve a name for themselves, realising that they are part of something much bigger than themselves. For Lance Armstrong who was one of the best cyclists and became egoistic, having a head too big for himself got a turn of this life when cancer hits him. Instead of pulling himself down, he went on to be the best cyclist in the world and after winning the fight of cancer, started a movement where people buy a yellow band called 'Livestrong' to donate towards the research to cure cancer. He was so strong he even remarked "Cancer was the best thing that ever happened to me'. For Oprah Winfrey, it is a life changing event when she was 9 where she was raped that made her felt she had to do more than what she can and set foot out of her hometown to be a newscaster which brought the opportunity to host her own show. I will be able to talk about Barrak Obama more after I read this book 'The Audacity of Hope' which I attempt to do soon. Thus, explaning how he like Oprah uses the same weapon of human heart to lead and inspire and to make a difference.

All heros mentioned have followed their bliss, their own intuitive creative life force that burns in them. I too was tremendously inspired and reading this book become one of the most meaningful 3 hours of my life even though I had to do it during my sleepless night. No matter what befalls us in life, we always may keep moving towards the life that is waiting to be ours if we just have the courage to take it. Heed your call to adventure! We live in a perfect world that is only made imperfect through our own self-defeating ideas and emotions. Read more here.