Rohr explains that he will unpack the classic journey of the hero archetype and explain how it reflects people’s life trajectories. The hero’s journey tends to follow a consistent pattern. The hero or heroine takes their world for granted and is often a prince or princess but does not realize it. Early in the story, the hero courageously answers a call to action of some kind, hoping to overcome a challenge. Along the way, they find their “real problem” and experience hurt or loss in some way (11). In living through this, they discover their deeper internal or spiritual life by responding to events in their actual life. When they return “home,” they understand it better, and their journey is complete when they pass on to others what they have learned themselves. In these stories the hero is no longer just concerned with themselves, but with others too.

In modern culture, Rohr believes that people confuse success with heroism; celebrities and others are considered heroes, even if their success only helps themselves. Rohr feels that real heroes must do more than simply be successful. It is essential that they leave home and their comfort zone, and obey the call of the gods. For instance, Jesus called his disciples to leave their jobs and families and follow him. Rohr clarifies that he was not preaching to people who had no faith, but to religious people with jobs and families. He encouraged them to leave this security and comfort zone to graduate to the next phase of life.

Rohr concludes his chapter by explaining that everyone must complete the first “task” of building their “house” (i.e., their early experiences, occupation, and independent life) and cannot rush getting to the next stage. Instead, he coaches the reader to be fully present in whatever their current task is, and promises to reveal how to best live and mature during the first half of life.

By comparing the average person to a mythic hero, the author encourages the reader to see themselves as the hero of their own lives. In doing so, he invites the reader to anticipate the challenges that come with a hero’s journey. Rohr’s approach dignifies the reader, as he uses heroes’ royal status as a metaphor for people’s divine nature. He explains that heroes “are often a prince or princess and, if not, sometimes even of divine origin, which of course they always know nothing about. (This amnesia is a giveaway for the core religious problem, as discovering our divine DNA is always the task)” (11). 

The author also adds to his argument that modern culture has lost its healthy respect for real heroes, suggesting that we have confused heroism with simply being famous or successful. He writes, “To be a celebrity or a mere survivor today is often confused with heroism, which is probably a sign of our actual regression. Merely to survive and preserve our life is a low-level instinct that we share with good little lizards, but it is not heroism in any classic sense” (13). By clarifying that heroism always involves maturing and helping others, the author reminds the reader that spiritual development is about extending care and compassion to others.

Chapter Lessons

• Success and heroism are not the same thing
• Spiritual growth requires leaving your comfort zone
• Heroes always help others and pass on knowledge to them

Reflection Questions

• Rohr believes that the final stage of a hero’s journey is to pass on knowledge to others. Is there anyone in your own life you have looked up to as an exemplar or mentor, and who has taught you something valuable? What have you learned from them? 
• Rohr believes that leaving the familiar is an essential part of the hero’s journey. What familiar things have you had to leave behind over the course of your life so far? What familiar things might you still be clinging to that no longer serve you or might be holding you back?
• What is your favorite myth, and what kind of challenges does its hero face? What kind of inspiration or lessons have you gleaned from this story?