Transformation.

In so many of the stories we love, the characters we resonate with most go through some version of change, are faced with life altering challenges, have people that help them along the way and in the process learn more about themselves than they ever thought possible. In fact, our own stories are no different.

Throughout his career Mythologist Joseph Campbell studied the myths and stories of cultures around the world and found that all stories, even our own, have a similar structure which he called The Hero’s Journey. As a note, I am using Hero as a gender-neutral term. Campbell noted that in our stories we are each the hero of our own journey, and while we don’t face mythical monsters or supernatural villains, we navigate the complexity, pain and beauty of life. This TED Ed video on storytelling has long been a go-to resource and does a great job of using the story of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games as an example.

For me, the characters I connect to most are Elsa from Frozen and Regina Mills from Once Upon A Time. Both women go through transformational character development and learn to authentically love themselves, including what they once thought made them broken. In their narratives I see my own story, which is part of the beauty of powerful storytelling. Like Elsa and Regina, once I said “I love myself” and came to realize that what I once thought made me broken is actually part of what makes me special and contributes to the legacy I want to leave in the world, so many things changed for me.

And so, the question I leave you with today is: Which fictional character do you feel most connected to and why? (I also invite you to ask this question around the dinner table, either in person or virtually).