Conspirator Annette, in some of her many roles
I’ve been listening to and learning from Martin Shaw, a teller of myths and fairy tales. His stories are disquieting, oblique, and wonderful.
There are kings and bears, gnarled small men in velvet green jackets, plain princesses, Sir Gwain, foxes and ravens, the Devil, and the Devil’s mom.
It’s quite the cast, and from that list alone, there are lots of specific roles that might tempt you.
There are archetypes woven into all of them, and no doubt you’ve come across some of these before. Maybe even played them …
The Sage Mentor, The Unreliable Oracle, The Villainous Shadow (or is it the Shadowy Villain?), The Trusted Sidekick, The Sycophantic Trickster, The Fearful Villager, The Wounded Warrior, The Corrupt Ruler.
But let me offer a role to you that may have been missing for a while …
The Hero.
What if there’s an opportunity right now (and yes, there is an opportunity right now) to step back into that role?
It’s been missing you.
There are reasons you might have stepped away from it.
You stepped aside so you could support others and help them claim their moment; but now you’ve been on the sidelines for a while.
You donned the cloak of authority and found that with high status comes ossified wisdom; your bones are getting creaky from sitting on the throne.
You’ve been fighting an old battle for a while. The same cycles, the same victories, the same defeats. You’re locked in warrior mode, and you’re getting tired.
You’ve somehow been relegated to NPC status, and it feels like you’re just background in someone else’s story.
Being the Hero means claiming the central role of your story. It’s now your adventure.
Did you catch that? Perhaps you are a Hero to others as well, of course. But first and foremost, it’s about being your own Hero.
It’s not an easy role.
Sure, there are moments when you shine, but there are also plenty of moments when you’re stepping forward into the ambiguous and the unknown, the dangerous and the weird.
And victory is not assured … or at least the victory you think you might be seeking is not assured.
Sometimes winning the game doesn’t look at all like you expected.
One of the questions Martin Shaw poses is, What do you need to do to earn your name?
Well, one of the things you need to do is to be brave, leave the old story behind, and step into the role of hero in an exciting new story.
Are you ready? (I think you are.)
