Essays
Facing the dragon
In author and philosopher Joseph Campbell's “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” a dragon represents the most fearsome and challenging obstacle a person can face. Metaphorically speaking, dragons represent our internal struggles with fear or greed, sitting atop a fragile ego. However, as Campbell writes, facing our dragon is vital to achieving the boon, i.e., experience, that follows. The same experience we take and leverage during the next challenge.
Do challenging things.
Life is easy. We live in the safest, most abundant, and most opportunity-filled existence in the history of humanity. It was a daily grind not long ago to find food, avoid a violent encounter with a wild animal or person, and stay protected in the harsh elements. Almost none of that exists today. Life has become an exercise in appearance, perception, and making choices that will make it even easier, if possible. This is a path that leads to nowhere.