How to Find Hope Through Our Inner Hero
Every great story features a great hero. But the best heroes are the underdogs. From Rocky to Frodo to Steve Rogers, there is something about the underdog that captivates our imagination. We love watching the journey from humble beginnings to renowned heroes. We love the incredible ride, watching them overcome the struggle to find hope and find victory. In the world of story-telling, it’s called the Hero’s Journey. A character is thrust into an epic adventure, given a guide, is forced to confront severe trial and tribulation, wins the day, and returns home not just a hero but forever changed.
We love it because we can identify with these larger-than-life characters. We desperately want to play the hero. In our little corners of the world, we want to conquer the impossible. We want our lives to have deep meaning—the underdog story coming to life. We insert ourselves into the character arc of our favorite heroes on the screen, stage, or page. But even as we crave such an experience, there is one part most of us hope to avoid.
The trial.
We actively try to avoid the very thing that could define our story.
We want the glory without the work. We want the result without the pain. I know that might sting a little, and you may even disagree with me. But think for a moment. When was the last time you were experiencing a trial and thought to yourself, “Man, this is amazing; I can’t wait to see how much I grow as a result of this!” Okay, that’s extreme. But you get my point. We don’t generally welcome trials in our lives. Instead, we complain and do whatever is necessary to move through the problem as fast as possible--never mind how it grows us.
However, the truth is, if you want the hero’s journey, that fantastic story, and to be forever changed, you must experience the trials. Otherwise, there is no hero, no real journey, and certainly no story. So when you face trials, take a minute and see the joy in it. Because it is in that trial that you will begin to develop perseverance, which builds stronger character. This is the hero’s journey.
While the struggle is real. So is hope.
Trials are much more manageable when they have a purpose. Knowing what you’re going through can fundamentally change you for good does not change how difficult your circumstance is, but it does help you dig in and suffer through it. Rocky had to overcome his attitude, size, outside influence, and even an entire nation. Frodo had to overcome the power and lure of the ring, stay on course, and suffer endlessly to save an entire world. And Steve Rogers had to overcome his size, loss of friends, and adapting to an entirely new world. These stories do nothing for us without the trials.
You, too, have a story, and that story has moments of struggle. Yet for so many of us, that struggle weighs too much and it becomes a burden you can’t bear. But remember, in your story you are also the unlikely hero, the underdog, the one who no matter the obstacle, finds victory, redemption, and ultimately hope.
So the next time you face a trial, consider yourself the hero on a journey. Work to find the purpose and meaning of the trial. Think about how this moment is going to transform you into the hero you were designed to be.
