Welcome to Day 78 of the Wellbeing 9-a-Day blog! Yesterday, we considered the seventh stage of the Hero’s Journey, Returning with the Reward, where the transformed Hero begins their return to the Ordinary World. In today’s blog, I move onto the penultimate stage of the Hero’s Journey, Re-integrating.
Re-integrating
It is one thing choosing to return with the reward, but it is very much another thing to re-integrate into the Ordinary World you left behind.
Unfortunately, the people left behind are not always ready for the reward.
They have not been transformed by the journey, as the Hero has been, and this means that the Hero may continue to meet obstacles as they attempt to reintegrate into the Ordinary World.
In a Bond movie, this is where 007 defeats the villain, gets the girl, and completes his mission.
In Beauty and the Beast, Belle shows the Beast to Gaston and the townsfolk, who attack the castle. Finding the will to fight when Belle returns, Beast defeats Gaston, but is stabbed in the back. As the Beast dies, Belle professes her love, and the enchantment is lifted.
When learning a new skill in life, Re-integrating is when you learn to make your new skill part of your life, and you learn to redefine relationships with the people in your life.
Just as the people left behind might not be ready for change, the transformed Hero might not be ready to find their new place in society.
Only by managing the reintegration and understanding people’s resistance to change can you manage this part of the Hero’s Journey.
Transforming the World
The Hero is not the same as they were when they started their Hero’s Journey, and neither is the world they return to.
By transforming themselves, the Hero transforms the world itself.
“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.’ – Heraclitus
What was normal at the start of the Hero’s Journey can now seem strange. This changed society can be dangerous to the Hero, or the Hero can be dangerous to it.
The transformed Hero now has knowledge of the different dimensions of consciousness and new skills and must reconcile the rewards of the journey with the less important issues of the world they left behind.
Though you may go on the journey to help others, there will always be those who resist change.
This is why you must learn to use your gifts and slowly translate the revelation received. Having the skill to save your community means nothing if you do not learn to share it.
Only by learning to re-integrate the reward can you hope to establish The New Norm, ready for the next Hero’s Journey.
Call to Action!
Think back to Hero’s Journeys from your past. Have you ever transformed yourself for the better and found that the people in your life were not ready to accept it? By understanding the importance of re-integrating the reward, you can overcome these last obstacles to establishing a better world for yourself and the people you love.
This blog was written as part of a 90-day blog writing fundraiser for Live Well with Cancer, a volunteer-led charity serving North Tyneside and the surrounding areas. If you enjoyed this blog, please show your appreciation by donating to my JustGiving page. Every penny raised from donations or sales of the journal will help deliver workshops, events and support groups that empower better health and wellbeing for those affected by cancer, including family, friends, carers, and healthcare workers.
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