Editor’s note: Mika and Know Your Value want to hear about your life resets during the pandemic. Send your stories to Mika at: knowyourvalue@nbcuni.com.
Ever notice that TV shows (and movies) follow a pattern similar to your own life’s journey? There’s ups and downs and wins and losses and challenges and champions. Then there’s insurmountable odds you’re about to overcome, but you likely won’t know the moral of the story until you’re on the other side – sometimes way on the other side.
This pattern of life was dubbed “The Hero’s Journey” by the great philosopher Joseph Campbell. He breaks this journey into 17 stages, but I’m going to keep it simple here:
Step 1: Life was fine then suddenly out of nowhere you have been called to take an adventure.
Step 2: You meet new friends.
Step 3: You hit roadblocks.
Step 4: You fight a bad guy.
Step 5: You get a mentor just before fighting the biggest fight of all.
Step 6: You return home a changed person and share your wisdom with the world.
For my post this week, I thought we could steal a scene from AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” (Stay with me!)
DISCLAIMER: If you told me a year ago that I would be hooked on the hit TV series about zombies, death, betrayal and gore, I would’ve told you that you were nuts. I don’t like zombies or vampires or Sci-Fi. But my teenage son Angus begged me this past December to watch only the first three episodes with him, which I reluctantly did. And then for the next couple of months I binge-watched every single episode of “The Walking Dead” and their equally fabulous spinoff show, “Fear The Walking Dead.”
I must admit, I hate the whole “zombie” aspect, so let’s think of the zombies as a metaphor for the things, events, other people, illnesses such as the coronavirus, and our own stinkin’ thinkin’ that seems to never die and reappears out of nowhere to try and take us down.
What might be possible if we looked at “The Walking Dead” as a show about how to get out of difficult situations in the fastest, most creative way possible? And who doesn’t want that kind of training right now with a pandemic forcing us to reset our lives?!
Yes, yesterday, I watched the two NEW episodes of “The Walking Dead” and there’s one tiny scene, which stars two of the main characters, Dr. Eugene Porter and King Ezekiel, that I’d like to share with you.
Eugene, who is overweight and technologically savvy with no other survival skills, is ready to give up fighting for his life and searching to help a female love interest he met over the radio.
The other main character, a determined leader of a fallen tribe called “The Kingdom,” is King Ezekiel. The King, who has a massive lump on his neck because he is fighting thyroid cancer is charismatic, loving and strong. The King steps up as a friend and mentor to Eugene in the following scene:
Eugene: “I believe it’s time we go eye-to-eye with reality. Turn back for home.”
King Ezekiel: “We are NOT going back. We set out to do this and we are going to do this. In my own moment of doubt you did not waiver and I’m not about to let you do it now. This journey, your journey, must be completed not just for you but for all of us here. We must try. That’s what’s gotten us this far on this journey and in this life. And that’s what I want to remember, we gave it everything we had.”
Right now, are you giving everything you’ve got?
Are you determined to complete your journey?
RELATED: The 5-letter word that will put you back in the driver’s seat during the pandemic
I wish I could say yes to both those questions, but I can’t. While I AM determined to complete my journey, I’m simply not giving everything I’ve got today because it’s been a tough day, and week, for me.
Maybe you can relate?
Last week:
- My 74-year-old Dad was diagnosed with COVID-19 just before his birthday. Then a couple of days later, he took an ambulance to the hospital. He spent multiple days there and is now home alone slowly recovering and he sounds terrible.
I’m scared for him.
- I reconnected with an old friend of mine from 17 years ago and we’ve been catching up on the last two decades. The only problem is our conversations are full of uncontrollable laughter. And while laughter decreases stress and increases immune cells, it also triggers the body’s feel good chemicals, endorphins. It’s so addicting that we are on the phone at all hours of the night so I can barely wake up the next morning.
I’m exhausted.
- I’ve skipped out on exercising all week and have made one excuse after another. I just ate four chocolate chip granola bars. And I think I gained two pounds in 12 days … and man, my stinkin’ thinkin’ is loud today.
I’m not motivated.
As a matter of fact, I woke up in a bad mood and for some reason I’m choosing to hang onto that bad mood all day long. I don’t have enough insight right now to understand what’s the benefit of remaining in this funk. And I’m smart enough to know that there must be a payoff that I’m just not aware of yet.
As you might imagine, this is the beauty of the reset.
I’m about to head into my office to go live with a new podcast I’m hosting with three other female profilers, called “The Profile Task Force.” But first, I’m going re-watch a TEDx talk by Patti Dobrowolski called, “Draw Your Future.”
It’s a super simple exercise and yet I’ve never done it! Have you had moments like these on your “Hero’s Journey?” You know there’s an easy fix to reset your bad mood, stress or anxiety. Maybe it’s meditation, breathing, going for a walk or taking a long bath – and you just don’t do it?
Consider this one of your many mentoring moments. Mika and I invite you to use the reset tool I’m using today to get one day closer to returning home a changed person and share your wisdom with the world.
RESET CHALLENGE #2
Following our previous post on reset challenge #1, take a moment to watch Patti Dobrowolski’s TEDx talk, “Draw Your Future.”
Grab a plain piece of paper, a pencil and some colored pencils, markers or crayons and draw what Patti’s three bold steps look like for you. It’s more way FUN than you could ever imagine and it only takes a couple of minutes!
Check out the second half of my drawing in time-lapse mode below:
Anyone can do this exercise, just take a look at examples sent by two other women, who are fans of Know Your Value!
Please send your time-lapse video or picture to Mika so the two of us can cheer you on!
Editor’s note: Mika and Know Your Value want to hear about your life resets during the pandemic. Send your stories to Mika at: knowyourvalue@nbcuni.com.
Janine Driver
Janine Driver is a New York Times best-selling author, her newest book is titled, “You Can’t Lie to Me.” She is a body-language expert, motivational speaker and retired federal law enforcement officer. Follow her on Twitter @janinedriver.