Your Hero’s Journey doesn’t have to be grandiose. It might even feel small to you.

I recently listened to a 99% Invisible podcast on Super Citizens.

When I dug a little further into those stories and read about the heroes they profiled, I found heroes of little things. Little – yes — but little things that make a difference in a lot of people’s life experience.

El Peaponito makes it safer to walk down the street.

The Fox called out corporate polluters.

The Birmingham Batman helped stranded motorists

Clean Panther picks up trash in her city of Nagoya, Japan. Litter is one of those things that when it’s NOT there, you never think about it. But when I walk down the street and see a tossed Gigungo-Gulp plastic cup on the side of the road, my eye focuses on only that. The litter tears my eye away from the pink-striped dawn and the towering Saguaro. Now all I can see is the cracked plastic, and I have to pick it up!

Maybe you’re still thinking about what goals in your life could be seen as a Hero’s Journey. Here’s an idea: start really, really small. Start local. The Hero’s Journey is fractal. Small journeys are good practice and will train you for the bigger, tougher stages of your next Journey.

A cool superhero mask is optional.

Photo by Xavi Cabrera on Unsplash