The hero in you
Choosing the inner voice that guides your decisions
After the “call for adventure,” another question emerges:
Who am I in this situation, and am I willing to engage with it?
Some phases are less about task lists and more about this fundamental clarification. The starting point is the inner position from which I act.
The hero as an inner position
The hero’s journey, as described by Joseph Campbell, follows a familiar pattern: a figure leaves everyday life, faces challenges, and returns transformed.
Paul Rebillot translated this model into inner work. The figures can be understood as inner parts: the hero, the resistance, the helpers.
The hero is the starting point. It is the part in us that moves forward, even when not everything is resolved. Any strategic change requires this readiness to pursue a goal and take responsibility for it.
“I am” as a starting point
The hero shows up in how I speak and think about myself.
Statements such as “I am capable,” “I am thoughtful,” or “I am alive” only work if they feel true. They express an inner agreement.
This agreement is decisive. It is quiet and at the same time stable. It creates movement.
The inner counterforce
As soon as this position becomes clearer, another voice often appears.
It questions, minimizes, and relativizes.
“Is that really true?”
“Others can do this better.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
Paul Rebillot refers to this as the “demon of resistance.”
This voice has a function. It tests and protects. At the same time, it can easily turn into self-doubt and devaluation.
In everyday situations, this becomes visible:
- you treat yourself more harshly than others,
- you downplay your strengths,
- you question your own effectiveness.
The hero states a position and the resistance challenges it.
What matters strategically
The key question is which voice carries weight when decisions are made. Strategic thinking begins with choosing your inner orientation consciously. Not every critical voice is useful, and not every doubt leads to better decisions. The relevant question is how you relate to this inner dynamic.
What makes the hero sustainable?
Existential analysis offers a useful structure through four fundamental motivations. Applied to the “hero,” they lead to concrete questions:
1. Am I allowed to be?
Do I have a real ground to stand on? What provides stability, protection, and space?
2. Do I like living?
Where do I experience energy and vitality? What genuinely nourishes me?
3. Am I allowed to be myself?
Do my goals reflect who I am, or do I mainly follow external expectations?
4. What do I want to be effective for?
What contribution do I want to make? What should come into being through my actions?
When these four dimensions are considered, the quality of inner agreement changes. The hero becomes more grounded and reliable.
Strategy as an inner choice
In this context, strategy takes on a clear meaning, it shows in the position from which I act. Whether I am guided by self-doubt or by a grounded sense of self influences direction, energy, and persistence.
Three questions for reflection
Which statements about myself can I honestly begin with “I am”?
Where do I weaken myself through inner commentary?
If I define a goal from a clear inner position, what would it be, and what would be a first concrete step?
The hero is not a role to perform but an inner position from which decisions are made.
Warm regards,
Anita