Success Attributes and the Hero’s Journey

A 20-year study by the Frostig Center for Children with Learning Disabilities in California, found that six success attributes have a greater influence on success than such factors as academic achievement, gender, socio-economic status, ethnicity, and even Intelligence Quotient (IQ).

These success attributes are:

• Self-awareness
• Proactivity
• Perseverance
• Goal setting
• The presence and use of effective support systems
• Emotional coping strategies.

The Frostig Centre research found that successful persons with learning disabilities are much more likely to have these attributes than unsuccessful individuals.

These success attributes can lead to successful life outcomes for everyone, not just those with learning disabilities.

By crafting our life story as a Hero’s Journey, we can intergrate these six success attributes into our lives so that we can live our lives at full potential and satisfaction.

Crafting our life story enhances our self-awareness as we will be better able to recognize the strengths, weaknesses, passion, and special talents of the lead actor in our own life story - that is us!

Writing our own life story is a thoroughly proactive endeavour! We are literally taking our destiny into our own pen (I mean hands), and setting the purpose and desired outcomes in our lives. By writing our own story we are taking total responsibility for our own decisions, actions and results. What can be a greater act of self advocacy and initiative than writing and living our own life story?

Writing our own story builds our perseverance as story writers know that “Facing the Ordeal” is a necessary part of the hero’s journey to the “ultimate boon”. Story writers know that difficult situations are valuable opportunities for learning and growing. They know that The Ordeal only makes them stronger and wiser but only as long as they are not overwhelmed by adversity, back away from challenges, or give up.

Writing our own life story is a fun way to set goals. Story writers set goals that are specific, with enough flexibility to adjust to specific circumstances and situations. Our story includes our strategy, the direction, and steps we wish to take to reach our goals.

Our life story includes our support network of mentors who give us guidance, support, and encouragement on our life journey. Story writers do not simply wait for someone to come to their aid when they need support. They actively seek the support of mentors (who could be family, friends, colleagues, etc) as they are keenly aware that Meeting the Mentor is part of their life story.

Story writers recognise that stress laden phases like Crossing the Threshold, Facing the Ordeal and Transformation are part and parcel of the hero’s journey. Therefore, story writers anticipate the situations that trigger stress and have emotional coping strategies already written in their life stories. Story writers have a confident, positive, optimistic outlook as they know that the happy ending to their life story - Returning with the Elixir - had already been written!