Day 75 - Something I've Written

Day 75 - Something I've Written

I was going to wait to announce this, but why wait?  I'm impatient on this.  :)

This fall I wrote my first article that will be published in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Intersections journal.  The publication focuses on faith, learning, and teaching within Lutheran Higher Education.  I was introduced to the publication last summer when I attended a conference related to my work with Vocation.  The article I put together is posted below and will be printed in the Spring 2015 Intersections issue within the next couple of months.  This article is all about helping others discover and claim their callings by looking at our modern day superheroes and our origin stories.  

Also below are two drawings I put together for the piece.  One or both may be published with the article as well.  

Here's your first look at Superheroes and Origin Stories: Tools for Helping Individuals Discover and Claim their Callings!  A huge shout out to Amanda Mesirow who helped revise and review what I put together.  :)

Superheroes and Origin Stories:

Tools for Helping Individuals Discover and Claim their Callings

TJ Warren, Pathways Center Associate for Vocation and Mentoring at Wartburg College

“How can I decide what to do with my life when I don’t even know who I am?  I feel like I’m walking in a dream, and nothing’s real, not even me.” – Clark Kent

“Then maybe the answer is to wake up.  There will come a day Clark, when for the very first time, you won’t have to hold back…a day when you can cut loose…a day when you can finally be who you truly are…you’re unique in all the world.  Extraordinary.  Not just any man…and more than just a man…a SUPER-man.  Live Clark.  Follow your passion.  Show the whole world what you can do.  Fly, Clark… Fly…” – Jonathan Kent

Excerpt from Superman: Earth One by J. Michael Straczynski & Shane Davis

The origin story.  The stories of heroes coming to be.  Origin stories are fascinating; this is why we tend to get caught up in them.  I can’t tell you the number of times I have read or seen the origin of Superman, and you know what?  I never get sick of it (and apparently, neither does society as the story gets told over and over again).  Origin stories define characters: where they came from, who they were, what they’ve faced, and how they discovered themselves, their strengths, and their calling.  When it comes to characters within literature and film, we often times know of them, but until we know their origin, we do not know them and their purpose in the world.  I am convinced that discovering one’s origin and referring to the stories of our fictional heroes can be powerful tools in helping individuals discover and claim their callings.

American scholar Joseph Campbell defined a theoretical concept that can be observed within many forms of literature and film.  Campbell’s theoretical concept was called “monomyth” (one myth).  As writers and filmmakers continued studying the pattern, the theory would later be referred to as “The Hero’s Journey.”  Although the pattern has been debated and modified throughout the years, many agree that the pattern consists of 12 stages: the ordinary world; the call to adventure; refusal of the call; meeting with the mentor; crossing the threshold; tests, allies, and enemies; approach; the ordeal; the reward; the road back; the resurrection; and the return with the elixir (see figure 1-1).  These stages can serve as a catalyst for helping individuals understand their origin. 

For example, in my own journey (where I’m the hero – which is fantastic, I must say), identifying my ordinary world consisted of being a young Iowa boy, who believed he was meant to impact the world in some way, but he was unsure of who he was and how he could contribute.  Then, my freshman year of high school, I attended a youth leadership conference called Get a Grip where I met my mentor.  By experiencing this leadership organization, I discovered that my way of impacting the world around me was by encouraging people, making them laugh, and helping them realize their true potential.  After a few years of being mentored and continuing to discover myself, I crossed the threshold by attending college.

This is just one way we can take a look at our origin story.  By walking through “The Hero’s Journey” stages, we can start to pinpoint significant moments in our lives that have shaped us and that demonstrate what we are good at.  This method of reflection can also lead to other questions, such as, “does your origin story decide your vocation?”  For example, does coming from a family of medical professionals mean you cannot pursue an art degree?  The concept itself can at least start the discussion on a level in which people understand and can relate to.

As I have worked in higher education, I’ve noticed that we tend to make things incredibly complex as we work with students.  More simply, we must strive to find ways in which we can connect with students on their level.  Although college is a time for rigorous exploration and discovery, we need to find opportunities to meet them at their level and relate what we are trying to teach with where they are in relation to their experiences, their interests, society, etc.  Once we have their attention, the rigorous exploration and discovery can commence.

  

When an individual walks into my office, their attention is immediately drawn to my Superman and other hero collectables displayed throughout.  These items generate discussion.  Students, faculty, and staff ask, “Why Superman?”  My response is always, “Because he humbly seeks to do good in the world using the many talents that he possesses.”  And to the general question of, “Why superheroes?”, I say, “Because I believe we are all superheroes in our own way.  The hero’s journey lives within all of us.”

Heroes, however we define them, speak to all of us.  Whether they are fictional (Superman, Wonder Woman, Harry Potter) or real (Rosa Parks, Ghandi, Mother Theresa), they speak.  Why do they speak to all of us?  We can relate to their failures, their hardships, and their struggles.  We can also relate to their successes; the moments in which they overcame adversity or some villainous foe.  Heroes inspire us to do and be something more; to pursue our calling.  Therefore, we must find ways to help others become the hero in their lives.

As higher education professionals, we have an opportunity to mentor students—as Professor Charles Xavier does with the X-Men—along their own journeys.  We get to challenge, support, and encourage students to focus on their strengths and manage their weaknesses so that when their true purpose does call, they can, as Jonathan Kent said, “fly.”  What an incredible opportunity…when it comes to claiming one’s calling, we must find ways to connect or relate with students and meet them on their level.

As you work with students, find stories of heroes that speak to you (superheroes, heroes, friends, family members, politicians, world justice figures, etc.).  Use these role models, mentors, and leaders to help others realize who they are and how they can contribute to society.  As you provide these examples, help others articulate their origin story so they might find their purpose in the world and “wake up” to take their call.

Sources:

Campbell, J. (1949). The hero with a thousand faces. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Straczynski, J., & Davis, S. (2010). Superman: Earth one (Vol. 1). New York: DC Comics.

Vogler, C., & Schreiber, B. (n.d.). Hero's Journey. Retrieved November 23, 2014, from http://www.thewritersjourney.com/hero%27s_journey.htm.

Figure 1-1:

Drawing 1:

Drawing 2: