THE PATH OF THE EVERYDAY HERO Drawing on the Power of Myth To Meet Life's Most Important Challenges Lorna Catford, Ph.D. Michael Ray, Ph.D. ."profound and possibly earth shattering..The supply of heroes will never be equal to the demand, and the demand seems particularly acute at the moment. You are important. Come join the journey. You are wanted and needed far more than you can even imagine." From the Foreword by M. Scott Peck, M.D. Author: The Road Less Traveled "This book is like having a compassionate friend who is totally devoted to helping you become who and what you really can be. A marvelous mix of transformational strategies and healing myths, it serves as a gentle but powerful guide to living the larger story." Jean Houston, Ph.D. Director, The Foundation for Mind Research Author: Passion for the Possible and The Hero and the Goddess "A program for enhancing creativity that is at once practical and inspirational." Stanley Krippner Professor of Psychology, Saybrook Institute Co-author: The Mythic Path Every day, life is challenging. Discovering what you truly want, how to go after it, how to form deep relationships-these are on-going questions that, in happy or in sad times, may call to you, trip you up or even completely block your path to success. But instead of being frustrated by such challenges, you can learn to see them as the very heart of life and meet them with zest. In this unique book packed with guidance, wisdom and empowering activities, the authors present a new way to accomplish all your important tasks: to become an everyday hero, someone who, like the great figures of ancient myths, learns through life's varied adventures to think creatively, choose wisely, and trust your inner resources. Become an everyday hero and make lives around you, and the world, better for your presence. The Path of the Everyday Hero taps into what Joseph Campbell, Robert Bly, Sam Keen, Jean Houston, and others have identified as the instructive power of myth. Here, the authors connect five classic stories to five of life's most important challenges. By reading and contemplating these stories, you can glean fresh insights for your own journey. In Perceval and the Holy Grail, you will learn how to live to fulfill your true purpose. In Beauty and the Beast, you will see how to create relationships that work for you and all. In The Peasant Who Married a Goddess, you will discover how to use your inner resources to turn the pressures and stresses of life into breakthroughs. In Theseus and the Minotaur, you will find a way to turn the competing demands of your personal and professional lives into a beneficial synergy. In Cinderella, you will explore values beyond material wealth to enrich your life. In the final chapter you will create your own personal myth as a metaphorical blueprint for transforming your life. Each chapter provides a variety of approaches to awaken your creative spirit and bring your life into alignment with your highest vision. When you translate each of your challenges into a story of the Hero's Journey, you experience a new awareness about the meaning of the challenge and your ability to resolve it. Wherever you may be in life right now and whatever challenges lie in front of you, The Path of the Everyday Hero will help you see your journey in a heroic perspective, and live every day with greater joy, strength, and fulfillment. Note: The Path ofthe Everyday Hero is a valuable handbook of ideas and activities for educators, counselors, consultants and anyone facilitating people's transformation beyond their challenges and into being more successful than they dreamed they could possibly be.