To Fly

POINT TO PONDER

Follow your bliss.

                 - Joseph Campbell

 

STORY LINE by Rajiv Shah

To mark the anniversary of Friday Reflections we want to revisit one of our favorite stories, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. On first glance, Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a story about marching to the beat of your own drum, following dreams, pursuing your passion in the face of adversity and forgiving others when they condemn you for doing so. It incorporates all these elements, but I realized upon my viewing of the entire film (which can be viewed on youtube here: http://youtu.be/I6aBl7tAJCo) that JLS follows the classic Hero's Journey myth structure. 

    The Hero's Journey was popularized by Joseph Cambell who was a writer and mythologist. Campbell found that many classic stories follow a pattern (including Jonathan Livingston Seagull) and an extremely abridged explanation is outlined here that we can apply to our own lives:

1. The Call to Adventure - This is where the main character is at a point in their life where they are at the brink of change. Either the character can be seeking the change or the call to adventure comes from an unexpected source (death of a loved one, fired from a job, life is in danger, etc). In JLS this step is represented in Jonathan's need to fly faster and higher than any seagull before. In your own life is there something that you seek? A higher sense of fulfillment whether personal or professional, a yearning to explore, or a need to challenge? Whatever that thing is, that is your calling. 
2. Refusal of the Call - The main character avoids the call due to doubt, familial obligations, expectations (societal, personal, or familial), or fear of the unknown. In JLS (around the 20 minute mark) Jonathan has flown higher than he ever has before but crash lands into the ocean. Injured and alone he floats on a wooden crate - for the first time doubting his calling, his belief in himself. He thinks, "I've got to live with what I am. I promise this day that I will be a seagull like every other seagull." Sound familiar? I don't think I need to illustrate how this applies to our own lives as many of us get stuck in this phase of the hero's journey, doubting our passion and ability. 
3. Crossing of the Threshold/Road of Trials - The point where the main character reenters their journey is sometimes with encouragement from another and sometimes from an internal calling growing stronger within them. At this point there is no turning back, the main character ventures further into the unknown, past fear and doubt. The character will undergo a transformation from the experience (usually tough) and emerge with a new understanding and/or a new self. In JLS as is true in other works, this is can be the point of death though it is not always the case. In our own lives, and since you are reading this - you are not dead yet (at least I hope not...) - it can be a metamorphosis from your old way of thinking/self usually into a new one. 
4. Apotheosis/The Ultimate Boon - The achievement of the goal. Moving to divine knowledge, transendence and attainment of the calling. In JLS this is the point when Jonathan has learned to fly highest, fastest, and is even able to transend his physical body. For us, well... I wouldn't know what this looks like and it would be foolish for me to try to teach anyone this as I'm searching myself. But I think it's in the search for this that we find peace and bliss, however brief or lasting. Some may find this in family, some in career achievements, and some might find it in jumping from one thing/place to the next. But when we find it I hope we take the next step:
5. Master of Two Worlds/Freedom to Live - With this new knowledge, bliss, and transendance the main character returns to his place of origin in order to share those experiences with others and the world at large. This is so that others might find their own path and their own peace. In JLS this is done when Jonathan returns to the flock seeking to teach them that they can fly as high and fast as they dream. For us, it is the need to teach, to pass on what we've experienced in order to help another on their path. Paying it forward. 

 

REFLECTION

The Hero's Journey is one that all of us have within us. It reflects the nature of our search for meaning. We all find it in different places but the calling is always there. Sometimes the fears and doubts get so loud that we don't take the journey and find what we are truly capable of. It's easy to given in and stop searching, deciding that what we seek can't exist.  

    This need, the quest for meaning, is not only reflected in stories like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, but is ingrained in spiritual texts such as the Bible and the story of the Buddha. It permeates most TV shows and movies, from Lost to Batman. It can even be found in the cycle of birth. It is a mythology that is interwoven into the very fabric of our existence - in the little place inside of each and everyone of us that dares to answer the call and seek our greatest potential. 

 

Come to the edge, he said.

They said: We are afraid.

Come to the edge, he said.

They came.

He pushed them and they flew.

~ Guillaume Apollinaire

Comments

[Ronak Shodhan]

There are a lot of obvious lessons to be learnt from JLS!

However, there is a hidden lesson that we should not overlook.

It is possible that even after doing all that successful "JLS's" have done in the world and even in a better way than theirs, it is still possible that the desired achievement eludes you!!

The real joy should always reflect the depth of one's effort and not the height of one's achievement!!

I have seen a lot of "HAPPY" JLS's on the streets of India who are true champions of the heart, mind and soul but in the eyes of ignorant passers-by, they are NOBODIES!!

I salute all the JLS's of the world who have tried to follow their inner calls under impossible circumstances.... success achieved or not!!

[Learner]

Thanks for the sharing and I really appreciate that. I will always remember your teaching: “pass on our learning to others”, this is also taught in “lead without title” – it has further ingrain in me and has become one of my leadership principle. the thing I can do is to pass on the learning to others 

[Young and the Restless (received by email, posted by FR team)]

I found some time today and watch the movie. It is indeed inspiring. It made me ponder a lot. Though I must admit that watching it for the first 6 mins, I didn’t quite get it. And for some crazy reason, the pecking among the birds in the flock with blood and all reminded me of the movie The Birds by Alfred Hitchock. 
Anyway, the one thing that caught my attention was when the mentor spoke to Jonathan about perfection. It made me think about the things I’ve done, and if I’ve strived for perfection. Would it make sense to strive for perfection? And then I realize, just like every other thing, perfection is a perception and subjected to different people, it means different things. Perfection is not perfection per se. It’s not about striving for something to be flawless, but it is accepting that there will be certain flaws in our everyday life but still live like it is the most perfect life ever. At some point we have to learn to be satisfied and appreciative of what we have.
Anyway, I realize that only when we set that perfection level, which is very much like any other goal that we have set, can we continue to learn and improve. But does everyone think that way? Probably not. But then again, are they wrong? I don’t think so. Coz I think that’s the life they choose to live in. Just like the birds that chose to continue to live in the flock, eating garbage and not strive for a better life. Unlike Jonathan who believes there’s more to life than just flying from A to B and eating garbage.
Just like us in the human race, only those who chooses to challenge the status quo gets to see this whole other world of possibilities that most people do not see. Is there a chance of failing? Why of course there is. In fact it is a huge chance. But I think it takes a lot of courage to step out from the norm, coz there is always a risk of people not liking you, people labeling you as the outcast, and at some point you may need to live alone. And that’s not easy.
This movie is so relevant and easily related to us humans, and I am sure it is intentionally done so – to be related to the human life that is; the talk about heaven, about perfection, about learning to find the purpose of living, and more importantly about love and having faith.
The last part made me think about you. And the question I have for you is, do you believe that perhaps you were brought to this face of the Earth to learn, and then to teach and coach others? And a question for me now is, could I also learn and be a teacher to others? Although not many people may agree with my perception about life, but maybe I could help one or two people and quite honestly, that may just be an achievement.
Thanks for sharing. And thanks for reminding me about taking some time to watch this movie. I would have missed out on a lot of things should I not spend this hour and half watching it.
p/s: if only they could have made it a little shorter. It is rather lengthy.
Best regards,

[microCEO]

Thanks for Sharing. I am also a big fan of JLS, and I never considered that it might fit into the "hero's journey" archetype. I first read about the theory of hero's journey in an article about Star Wars, another epic that fits the narrative very nicely.

I did not know much about Joseph Campbell, but I googled him. It seems that he was influenced by the ideas of pioneering German ethnologist/anthropologist Adolf Bastian.
(great article here: http://moongadget.com/origins/myth.html), and by Jung's ideas about psychological"archetypes". Bastian's central idea was that human culture has strongly universal features.

Campbell applied this to myth and religion and storytelling. Hollywood probably owes him a gigantic debt in the form of royalties!

[California Guy]

I am reminded of a couple of quotes by Vince Lombardi, a coach of American football:

"Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence."

Also, this is a very appropriate time to mark the anniversary of Friday Reflections as the XXX Olympics are currently happening in London. I am currently seeing many FR themes in the stories of the many athletes who made it to London as well as those that just missed out.

[Will]

Hero's Journey explained brilliantly at http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html