I found my passion and my shadow. I reflected on the many influential men, people, in my upbringing. I looked for the blessed. The shadow in me desires to be a "Good Man". There are no good men. There are only men who make their effort at life and then they are continually judged by their peers, enemies, and loved ones. The scorecard held up at the end is more a reflection of societies shortcomings than it is the results of one man's choices. I have loved as I had loved myself, using discouraged and defeated perceptions.
I found a way to believe I am lovable, internally, without pride, and gently. I no longer feel tied to societies understanding of what a good man should be. I know there are no good men. There are men whose mistakes are denounced. There are men whose successes are romanticized. There is a preference for the later, leaving very little room for boys and men to make mistakes. I have grown to be curious of my mistakes, minus the punishment.
Becoming a polished person is a personal journey, and how a person's actions are perceived become wind in their sails or boulders on their trails. We are all trying to spend this lifetime with a sense of purpose, hoping to be accepted, included, and understood. When this doesn't happen, we, or maybe, I start to identify others as good or bad.
Jung helps me to recognize aspects of myself as facades and Campbell helps me apply the hero’s journey to the maturity of each. I was born a child with dreams. Grew into an athlete with goals. I became a student of prosperity. I tested myself to love. I shrunk and suffered in grief. Through the agony of defeat and surrender, I am blessed with new life, to start all over again, and with a little more of the hero’s wisdom. Each stage of my life reminds that I might be designed to find the Hero's Journey.
