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What do Harry Potter,

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Katniss Everdeen, and Frodo

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all have in common
with the heroes of ancient myths?

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(Roar)

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What if I told you they are all variants
of the same hero?

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Do you believe that?

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Joseph Campbell did.

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He studied myths from all over the world
and published a book called

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"The Hero with a Thousand Faces,"

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retelling dozens of stories

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and explaining how each
represents the mono-myth,

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or Hero's Journey.

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So, what is the "hero's journey"?

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Think of it as a cycle.

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The journey begins and ends
in a hero's ordinary world,

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but the quest passes
through an unfamiliar, special world.

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Along the way, there are some key events.

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Think about your favorite book or movie.

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Does it follow this pattern?

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Status quo, that's where we start.

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1:00: Call to Adventure.

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The hero receives a mysterious message.

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An invitation, a challenge?

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2:00: Assistance

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The hero needs some help,
probably from someone older, wiser.

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3:00: Departure

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The hero crosses the threshold
from his normal, safe home,

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and enters the special
world and adventure.

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We're not in Kansas anymore.

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4:00: Trials

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Being a hero is hard work:

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our hero solves a riddle,

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slays a monster,

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escapes from a trap.

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5:00: Approach

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It's time to face the biggest ordeal,
the hero's worst fear.

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(Roar)

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6:00: Crisis

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This is the hero's darkest hour.

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He faces death and possibly even dies,

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only to be reborn.

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7:00: Treasure

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(Roar)

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As a result, the hero
claims some treasure,

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special recognition, or power.

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8:00: Result

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This can vary between stories.

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Do the monsters bow down before the hero,

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or do they chase him as he flees
from the special world?

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9:00: Return

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After all that adventure,
the hero returns to his ordinary world.

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10:00: New Life

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This quest has changed the hero;
he has outgrown his old life.

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11:00: Resolution

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All the tangled plot lines
get straightened out.

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12:00: Status Quo,

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but upgraded to a new level.

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Nothing is quite the same
once you are a hero.

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Many popular books and movies

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follow this ancient
formula pretty closely.

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But let's see how well "The Hunger Games"
fits the hero's journey template.

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When does Katniss Everdeen
hear her call to adventure

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that gets the story moving?

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When her sister's name
is called from the lottery.

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How about assistance?

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Is anyone going to help
her on her adventure?

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Haymitch.

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What about departure?

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Does she leave her ordinary world?

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She gets on a train to the capital.

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OK, so you get the idea.

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What do you have in common
with Harry Potter,

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Katniss Everdeen, and Frodo?

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Well, you're human, just like them.

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The Hero's Journey myth
exists in all human cultures

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and keeps getting updated,

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because we humans reflect on our world

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through symbolic stories of our own lives.

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You leave your comfort zone,

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have an experience that transforms you,

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and then you recover and do it again.

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You don't literally slay
dragons or fight Voldemort,

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but you face problems just as scary.

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Joseph Campbell said,

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"In the cave you fear to enter
lies the treasure you seek."

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What is the symbolic
cave you fear to enter?

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Auditions for the school play?

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Baseball tryouts?

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Love?

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Watch for this formula in books,
movies, and TV shows you come across.

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You will certainly see it again.

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But also be sensitive
to it in your own life.

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Listen for your call to adventure.

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Accept the challenge.

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Conquer your fear
and claim the treasure you seek.

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And then,

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do it all over again.