Last month I took a much needed vacation to one of my favorite environs, the desert, and spent some time in Zion National Park, Utah. At the time we planned the trip, we had no intention of tackling one of the park’s crown jewels, the Angels Landing trail. We had read about it (strenuous, not for the faint of heart) and heard about it from others (“I was never so scared” and “…unlike anything else I have ever done”) and decided to embrace being chicken and play it safe and stick to more moderate hiking. However, about two weeks prior to the trip, I got the bright idea that we should do the hike and use it as a metaphor for life. Needless to say, this brought sideways glances and “you’ve got to be kidding” looks from my partner.

Let me start by saying Angels Landing is not a Mt. Everest and plenty of people hike it each year. That being said, however, it is one of the most challenging and unique pure hiking experiences in the National Parks. Angels Landing is one of the 6000+ foot peaks within Zion. In order to get to the top you must hike 2.5 miles one way to the top and climb almost 1500 vertical feet. What makes it most special is the last

Tags: avoid burnout, Paula Gregorowicz business coach, peak performance, Philadelphia, strategy, successavoid burnout, Paula Gregorowicz business coach, peak performance, Philadelphia, strategy, success

From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters at www.managing-creativity.com/

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the Hollywood movies we have deconstructed are based on this template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero’s Journey:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

and more…

Sample Movie Deconstructed: Red River (1948)

FADE IN: role on text; the open book; reference to the famous Chisum trail.

Context: a wagon train.

Hero departing on a Journey: Tom Dunson wants to leave the Wagon Train.

Hero’s Ethics: “I signed nothing else I’d stay”

Warning against the Journey: “this is Indian country”

Meeting the Mentor: “yes, we know that”

Interdiction: “you’re too good a gun for me to let you leave”

Hero’s Nature [referenced through other people]: “he’s set in his ways once his mind’s made up”

Meeting the Mentor: “it’s me and Dunson”

Hero’s Romantic and Inner Challenge: Tom doesn’t let his wife come along.

Symbol of the Hero’s Romantic and Inner Challenge: the bracelet.

Journey to the First Threshold: Tom and Groot on their way.

View of the First Threshold from a distance: Texas on the other side of the Red River.

Physical Marker / Border to the First Threshold: the Red River.

Inner Challenge Developed: we should have taken her with us.

Obstacle to the First Threshold: the big smoke and battling the Indians.

Inner Challenge Developed: Tom finds the bracelet.

Mentor’s Capabilities Developed: Groot talks to the Indians.

Meeting the Alternate Hero: Matt appears with a cow.

Alternate Hero’s Capabilities: Matt quickly draws a gun.

Hero and Alternate Hero Relationship Developed [confrontational]: Tom slaps Matt; “well, are you going to use it”

Crossing into the First Threshold: crossing the river into Texas.

The Elixir: Tom creates a Brand. Matt wants one too”once he’s earned it”

Threshold Guardian: Don Diego’s Mexicans.

Foreshadow of the Final Conflict: “by watching his eyes”

Hero’s Ethics: burying the Mexican.

Inner Cave: building the herd and the house.

Time Shift: ten years later.

Pushed to the Physical Separation: “unless we can move them I’m broke”

Developing Characters and Relationships: Tom, Matt and Groot discussing which trail to take.

Developing the Alternate Hero’s Capabilities: “I led a patrol up there”"I’ve been using [my gun arm] a lot these past few years”

Hero’s Inner Challenge: “cost him a woman,” the bracelet.

Developing the Alternate Hero: “Matt, I’m glad you come home”

Developing Hero and Alternate Hero Relationship: “you don’t think I’d do it”

Warning of the Physical Separation: men have been ambushed there.

Resistance to the Physical Separation: Meeker wants his beef.

Meeting the Shape Shifter: Cherry Valance.

Alternative Hero and Shape Shifter confrontation: Matt and Cherry test each other.

Foreshadow of Trial 1: the assistant cook stealing sugar.

Meeting Allies: around the poker table.

Pushing toward the Physical Separation: Tom speaks to the men.

Warnings: some men didn’t make it; it’ll be hard.

The Rules of the World of the Transformation: if you start, you must finish.

Physical Separation: they set off.yeee ha..

Warnings: “they say we can’t make it”

Developing Characters and Relationships: Groot; the teeth.

Foreshadow of the Separation: the first mention of Abilene.

Developing Characters and Relationships: “I didn’t ask you”"I suppose if I tangle with him I’d have to take you on too”

Pushing Forward / Developing Characters and Relationships: Tom changes horses.

Foreboding: “all the same, I don’t like it”

Developing Characters and Relationships: Groot; the teeth.

Foreshadow of Trial 1: stealing sugar.

Foreshadow of the Separation: Tom doesn’t want them to stop at the watering hole.

Foreshadow of the Hero’s Nature: he’ll buy his wife a pair of red shoes.

Developing Characters and Relationships: shaving.

Foreshadow of Trial 1 [dramatic]: stampede.

Pushed to Trial 1[dramatic]: Dan is dead.

Hero’s True Nature: “see that she [his wife] gets full pay for the drive”

Hero’s Ethics: Christian burial.

Trial 1: Tom tries to give the boy a whipping; Matt prevents it; Mentor’s warning – “you was wrong”

Developing Characters and Relationships: “you’re too soft”

Pushing Forward: the storm.

Foreshadow of the Separation: “we should have turned back”

Warnings: the injured point man appears.

Foreshadow of the Separation: the injured man mentions Abilene.

Trial 2: shooting the quitters; Matt confronts Tom; Groot tells him he should have been injured some more

Foreshadow of Separation: some men have run away.

Pushing to Separation: “keep moving Matt”

Pushing to Separation: “tired men don’t runaway.”

Warning of the Separation: “then no one will want to run away”

Marker: crossing the river again.

Pushing to Separation: “that’s their job”

Trial 3: “I’m gonna hang ya”

Separation: “I’m gonna kill you.”

Foreboding of the Final Confrontation: watching their backs.

Foreshadow of the Final Conflict: counting the days until Dunson returns with some men.

Warning of the Sword: finding the Indian arrow.

Foreboding of the Final Confrontation: Matt can’t sleep.

Meeting the Oracle: women and coffee.

Foreshadow of the Reward: “is she pretty”

At the Outer Chamber: on the hilltop.

Guardians of the Sword: the Indians circling the wagons.

Pulled to the Sword: “everyone wants to ride point”

Seizing the Sword: meeting Tess Mallay.

Near Death Experience: Tess is hit with an arrow.

Celebration: the dance.

Developing the Romantic Challenge: Tess talking about Matt.

Foreboding of the Final Confrontation: jumpy in the fog; “hold it, right there”

Reward: Matt kisses Tess.

Pushed to the Atonement: the river is flooding.

Atonement with the Father: Tess confronts Dunson; the bracelet; Dunson remembers his lost love.

Apotheosis: Matt finds the train and gets to Abilene.

Ultimate Boon: Beef sells at

Tag: Monomyth Explained: Red River (1948) deconstructedMonomyth Explained: Red River (1948) deconstructed