Hero's Journey - Meeting the Mentor

When we have clear vision, missions and goals, we are energized and people around us can see and feel our vibrations and enthusiasm. People who are comfortable with themselves and who have the wisdom, talent and means will come forward to support us. It is natural for a person who is more self assured and experienced in the field to want to support another aspiring person make it in the same field or in life in general. The mentor sees in the aspiring novice a reflection of herself when she was starting out, and therefore feels an affinity for him. As Confucius says, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”

Of course, when we set our sights on something, we are bounded to make some people uncomfortable. They may see us as competition and if they are under-confident in the field, they may set out to hinder us. They may be our family and friends who feel their lives may be affected by our endeavours. These people are the Threshold Guardians. These are the naysayers, doubters and criticizers who are determined to discourage us.

Threshold Guardians are very useful, even though they can cause us much pain.

If we are true to our vision, mission and goals, the Threshold Guardian is not there to stop us – they are not that powerful as after all they are fear driven. If we stay true to our core and calling, they are there to help us see how badly we want something. Threshold Guardians are only strong enough to stop those who do not want something badly enough.

Hero's Journey - Meeting the Mentor

After refusing the call, if the Hero is ready, the MENTOR WILL APPEAR.

The Mentor can appear in many forms. It could be a wise person, a good book, a long lost friend, a pet, an insight that comes to you unexpectedly, a traumatic event that is a wake up call.

The Mentor will give the Hero a great gift and this great gift is none other than the treasures that already exist inside the Hero all this time.

These are great gifts which the Hero always has. All that is needed is for a Mentor to make the Hero aware of them.

These gifts are qualities like confidence, persistence, courage, integrity, optimism, and so on.

Once you know your gifts, you can claim them and release their great power to serve you.

Once you claim your gifts, you have the resources to OVERCOME the demons that stop you like fear of the unknown, uncertainty, and need for security.

You may have heard the story of the Frogs in the Rut, first told by Abraham Lincoln.

Two frogs were playing happily in a muddy road. They dug a deep rut with their gleeful hopping. One of the frogs got bored and hopped out of the rut, while the other frog looked on enviously.

"Let’s get out of here!" cried the first frog.

"We need to go find food somewhere else or we’ll starve.”

The frog in the rut was hungry, but he was also tired. Besides, there was no guarantee that one will find any food beyond the rut. At least, here in a rut there is mud and occasionally a stranded fly might wander by.

“I can't. I'm exhausted,” the second frog whined.

“Besides, I like it here. It is warm and comfortable.”

The first frog pleaded with his companion over and over again to leave the rut.

“You can’t stay in a rut the rest of your life, can you?”

The second frog made a half-hearted attempt at hopping out to humour his friend, and when that failed gladly settled in the rut.

Then both frogs heard a low rumble and saw a cloud of dust rising in the distance. The rumble grew louder and louder until the ground shook with it. Then they saw the front grille of a large truck barrelling towards them.

One front wheel was in the same rut where the second frog was afraid to leave! The frog outside the rut screamed and forced his eyes shut as the truck hurtled by!

Then, as it grew quiet again after the truck disappeared and when the dust settled, the first frog slipped up to the edge of the rut and peered down. There was no one there! Had his friend been grounded into paste? As he trembled in fear and sorrow, a voice called out from behind him.

On the side of the road sat his friend, croaking cheerfully.

“How did you get there?”

“I took one big hop with all my might and then, here I am,” the friend proudly announced.

"But," said the first frog, "you said you couldn't get out. What changed?"

"Inspiration!"

The big truck was the wake up call that staying in the rut was not an option.

This story shows how amazingly far we can hop -- if we meet our Mentor and receive the right inspiration.