The Hero’s Journey is known mostly for the challenging stages:  Tests and Trials and the Ordeal.  In those stages, our attention is homed in on our selves.  It’s very hard to get through those stages, especially if you’re the type who struggles to ask for help.

One way that you can shift out of a problem is to create a little magic with the Rule of Three.  The plus of this magic is you don’t have to ask for help.  In fact, no one will even know you’re doing something for yourself.

Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed.  Shift out of your misery for just a moment and notice someone around you who appears to be handling the chaos well.  You don’t have to know for sure how she feels, or even know who she is.  You just have to say to her (sincerely…), “You look so zen. I feel better just seeing you.” or “You sure handle all that comes at you really well. Kudos.” Chances are she will demur or even contradict you.  Just tell her that you know what you see and smile.

Now do this same activity two more times today for a total of three people.  Repeat the magic on two more days for a total of three people times three days. I guarantee you will know the way out of your Test or it will just be gone.  It’s magic.

Looking under the magi’s pointy hat, you can see how the magic works.  You shift your attention away from yourself and onto others. You start looking for what you need to find. You begin to see what you need modeled around you. You’ve widened your perspective from about ten inches (the inside of your head) to the big world around you. You deliberately put out what you need and it echoes back.

The rule of three works, and it’s free.  Give it a go!

I have 19 more tips in my mini-book, 20 Tips for a Hero’s Journey.

Download a PDF for free or get the Kindle version.

Photo by Houcine Ncib on Unsplash