In a Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens introduces the character Sydney Carton. He has a brilliant mind and is a successful lawyer but he is filled with self-loathing and is an alcoholic. He has squandered his talents and views his life as wasted.
He loves a woman and tries to be a better person for her. Unfortunately she loves another man. At the end of the book Carton is placed in a position where he can save the life of that other man but only at the cost of his own life.
As he goes to his death Dickens writes the thoughts going through Sydney Carton mind. He wrote: “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
In going to his death Carton completed his Hero’s Journey. Even though he had lived a less than desirable life, he was still able to complete the ultimate heroic act and save another life.
No matter where we are in life or what we have done up to this point each of us can take our own Hero’s Journey. To begin simply requires being willing to act. It is easy to be cynical or nihilistic. It is easy to spot problems in society and complain about them. Such actions can never lead to a Heroic journey. The journey will not be easy and it will require sacrifices but in the end it can lead to a happiness and fulfillment that can only be achieved by taking risks.
We must find a cause that attracts us, be willing to take risks and seek adventure. New opportunities will arise and life will take on new meaning. As we progress along our life journey seeking opportunities to make a difference we will be able to lay down to sleep and find a far better rest than we have ever known.
“The more the concept of reason becomes emasculated, the more easily it lends itself to ideological manipulation and to propagation of even the most blatant lies. ... Subjective reason conforms to anything.”
Max Horkheimer
Sunday January 10, 1999
The atmosphere was electric. The excitement levels were off the charts. The number one seed Minnesota Vikings were minutes away from what every fan thought would be a run to the Super Bowl. The Arizona Cardinals were merely the first obstacle in what was sure to be a deep playoff run.
Eric Livingston settled into his seat on the 4th row of the upper deck and smiled. He was looking directly down at the 50 yard line. He had worked extra shifts at work between his classes at the University of Minnesota to afford the ticket for this game and the next and with luck the Super Bowl. The Vikings had been his passion since he had watched his first game at the age of three on bouncing on his father’s knee. Now he was going to take in everything as he attended his first game in person. One semester away from finishing his MBA he knew he would be a season ticket holder next season. In ten years he planned to have been successful enough to upgrade his season tickets into a private suite. Life was great and it was only going to get better.
Shawn Gladwell could not believe his luck. As he walked toward his seat his mind recalled the events of the ...
