A seemingly “ordinary” person has something happen to her or him that takes her from her known world to a very different world where she is met with all kinds of challenges that culminate in some sort of monumental task, like dragon slaying (or killing an evil wizard, or destroying a ring of power, or killing a witch to get her broomstick…) and which simultaneously, transform the “regular” person into someone much more – a “realized” person who has a new awareness about herself and what she’s capable of. The journey has “birthed” her into who she really was all along – a Heroine. Helpers, usually magical, come to the aid of the Heroine. Dorothy has the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion. Harry Potter has Professor Dumbledore. Neo in the movie, The Matrix, has Morpheus. Huckleberry Finn has Jim. After accomplishing her dragon slaying, the hero returns home, usually with a gift that comes from her new level of awareness and she now can share this gift with her community.

Our real-life version of the myth, of our transition from a known world into a new world is rarely about finding a broomstick or a ring of power but rather leaving a comfortable job and leaping into a new one, or into a new relationship or leaving an old relationship that’s not working – or some other growth-inducing change from a “comfort zone” out into the unknown – into a new situation. That’s what a real-life heroine’s journey looks like and it is hugely transformative to the traveler – and to the world. The more we take the journey (and we go on many in our lifetime) to develop into our full selves, the more we are equipped to serve others and the world.

It takes a lot of courage to accept a call to go on the heroine’s journey. Many women hover over the threshold, waffling about whether to make the leap or not. My mission is to make sure real-life heroines know they’re not alone; that they have the support they need as they travel and to encourage them to do what their soul is urging them to do.

“It is about fearlessly leaping off the edge of the known to confront the unknown, and trusting that when the time comes, we will have what we need to face our dragons, discover our treasures and return to transform the kingdom. It is also about learning to be true to ourselves and live in responsible community with one another.”

~ Carol Pearson - Awakening the Heroes Within