166
A HEROIC JOURNEY
WORDS: JENIFFER NORTON Autumn being a season I associate with learning, personal growth, fruits of labor, and cuddling, I gifted the perpetual student within an online study course. It wasn’t difficult to decide, out of all of the mentors/intellects/creatives/coaches I enjoy observing, and voluntarily learning from, one in particular caught, and held, my attention in a very special way. She spoke of Authenticity in branding, as her eyes danced, light radiating from her, shooting out in every direction, accentuating her colorful living room and equally vibrant wardrobe; she offered a group of 52 female entrepreneurs a short-term opportunity for Empowerment, and I knew she was the one for me. Five of our six weeks together had passed as if in a dream state, a gorgeous, loving, divine type of dream where everything I did made sense and was better than good enough. Sure, the homework was challenging, it demanded bravery and self love, but it was worth it. After completing each assignment, the women in the course would collectively share our results, admitting that after our initial fear, we found the homework to be stimulating and difficult, and absolutely worthy of our courage. The bonds I made with the other women were instantaneous, charged with respect and affection, profound, intimate, and pure. We’d come together with collaborative intentions, and with a clear leader; thus, almost immediate-
ly, we fell into Greek chorus formation, a collection of feminine voices from across the globe. We shared, and naturally, on occasion, we cried together. Other times, laughing from our bellies, we exposed deeper aspects of our true selves; I was thrilled by the experience and impressed by our capabilities, brought to light and acknowledged in a non judgmental environment; a powerful, rare, sensation I’ll not willingly forget, ever. Our skillset was immeasurable, our vernacular was rich and worldly, our hum a sort of fluttering, clicking, incessant, heartbeat that pounds and quivers, then comes back for more. I was right there with them, shining in my best qualities of being supportive and sincere, open and vulnerable, empowered and authentic, and that’s when the dream changed from technicolor to drab, from vibrating to immobile, from delirious fun to severe seriousness. “Write your Hero’s Story”. The homework appeared innocently enough, as its predecessors had, inviting me to explore, play, and celebrate my wonderfulness in the company of the most inspired and eclectic group of women I’d ever been a part of. The Hero’s Journey, a familiar enough term in my chosen industry, where Joseph Campbell’s contribution is as valid as Aristotle’s. “I got this. No problem,” the actor/writer/director/
BROJ #34, DECEMBAR 2017.