New Year New Me, the journey continues.........

thrifty_fifty

Thought I'd pop this on, it's so apt.

[FONT=&quot]the hero's journey : summary of the steps[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]This page summrarizes the brief explanations from every step of the Hero's Journey.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Departure[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The Call to Adventure[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]The call to adventure is the point in a person's life when they are first given notice that everything is going to change, whether they know it or not.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Refusal of the Call[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Often when the call is given, the future hero refuses to heed it. This may be from a sense of duty or obligation, fear, insecurity, a sense of inadequacy, or any of a range of reasons that work to hold the person in his or her current circumstances.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]3. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Supernatural Aid[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Once the hero has committed to the quest, consciously or unconsciously, his or her guide and magical helper appears, or becomes known.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]4. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The Crossing of the First Threshold[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]This is the point where the person actually crosses into the field of adventure, leaving the known limits of his or her world and venturing into an unknown and dangerous realm where the rules and limits are not known.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]5. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The Belly of the Whale[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]The belly of the whale represents the final separation from the hero's known world and self. It is sometimes described as the person's lowest point, but it is actually the point when the person is between or transitioning between worlds and selves. The separation has been made, or is being made, or being fully recognized between the old world and old self and the potential for a new world/self. The experiences that will shape the new world and self will begin shortly, or may be beginning with this experience which is often symbolized by something dark, unknown and frightening. By entering this stage, the person shows their willingness to undergo a metamorphosis, to die to him or herself.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]B. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Inititation[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The Road of Trials[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]The road of trials is a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation. Often the person fails one or more of these tests, which often occur in threes. [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The Meeting with the Goddess[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]The meeting with the goddess represents the point in the adventure when the person experiences a love that has the power and significance of the all-powerful, all encompassing, unconditional love that a fortunate infant may experience with his or her mother. It is also known as the "hieros gamos", or sacred marriage, the union of opposites, and may take place entirely within the person. In other words, the person begins to see him or herself in a non-dualistic way. This is a very important step in the process and is often represented by the person finding the other person that he or she loves most completely. Although Campbell symbolizes this step as a meeting with a goddess, unconditional love and /or self unification does not have to be represented by a woman.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]3. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Woman as the Temptress[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]At one level, this step is about those temptations that may lead the hero to abandon or stray from his or her quest, which as with the Meeting with the Goddess does not necessarily have to be represented by a woman. For Campbell, however, this step is about the revulsion that the usually male hero may feel about his own fleshy/earthy nature, and the subsequent attachment or projection of that revulsion to women. Woman is a metaphor for the physical or material temptations of life, since the hero-knight was often tempted by lust from his spiritual journey.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]4. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Atonement with the Father[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]In this step the person must confront and be initiated by whatever holds the ultimate power in his or her life. In many myths and stories this is the father, or a father figure who has life and death power. This is the center point of the journey. All the previous steps have been moving in to this place, all that follow will move out from it. Although this step is most frequently symbolized by an encounter with a male entity, it does not have to be a male; just someone or thing with incredible power. For the transformation to take place, the person as he or she has been must be "killed" so that the new self can come into being. Sometime this killing is literal, and the earthly journey for that character is either over or moves into a different realm.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]5. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Apotheosis[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]To apotheosize is to deify. When someone dies a physical death, or dies to the self to live in spirit, he or she moves beyond the pairs of opposites to a state of divine knowledge, love, compassion and bliss. This is a god-like state; the person is in heaven and beyond all strife. A more mundane way of looking at this step is that it is a period of rest, peace and fulfillment before the hero begins the return.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]6. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The Ultimate Boon[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]The ultimate boon is the achievement of the goal of the quest. It is what the person went on the journey to get. All the previous steps serve to prepare and purify the person for this step, since in many myths the boon is something transcendent like the elixir of life itself, or a plant that supplies immortality, or the holy grail.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]C. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Return[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Refusal of the Return[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]So why, when all has been achieved, the ambrosia has been drunk, and we have conversed with the gods, why come back to normal life with all its cares and woes?[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The Magic Flight[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Sometimes the hero must escape with the boon, if it is something that the gods have been jealously guarding. It can be just as adventurous and dangerous returning from the journey as it was to go on it.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]3. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Rescue from Without[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Just as the hero may need guides and assistants to set out on the quest, often times he or she must have powerful guides and rescuers to bring them back to everyday life, especially if the person has been wounded or weakened by the experience. Or perhaps the person doesn't realize that it is time to return, that they can return, or that others need their boon.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]4. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]The Crossing of the Return Threshold[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]The trick in returning is to retain the wisdom gained on the quest, to integrate that wisdom into a human life, and then maybe figure out how to share the wisdom with the rest of the world. This is usually extremely difficult.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]5. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Master of the Two Worlds[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]In myth, this step is usually represented by a transcendental hero like Jesus or Buddha. For a human hero, it may mean achieving a balance between the material and spiritual. The person has become comfortable and competent in both the inner and outer worlds. [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]6. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Freedom to Live[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Mastery leads to freedom from the fear of death, which in turn is the freedom to live. This is sometimes referred to as living in the moment, neither anticipating the future nor regretting the past.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

thrifty_fifty

Going to grab myself a nice shower and pop a fresh lick of nail polish on the tootsies. Feeling better already.

thrifty_fifty

Ooh and just remembered that wednesday is my one year anniversary of starting my debt free journey. Party on here._party_

Please feel free to bring along virtual cake and drinkies.

thrifty_fifty

Right! With OH gone off the the garden centre, I need to get experimental with these water colours and create his valentines day card. His pressie is some heart shaped gingerbread that I shall be making. Now where did I put my paintbrush?

thrifty_fifty

Card done, stars painted. Now filling in job application, this is a couple of thousand less than I am paid at the moment, which isn't great for debt busting, but the security is better for my sanity long term, and I can look for something better paid once I'm settled in.

Decided that I'm flogging all my worth flogging stuff, I don't have the money to wear it anywhere, it's cluttering the house up which makes me stressed, and also could be put to better use paying off my debts, and goodness knows we want that gone.

Had the little bit of beer that is left and my mood has dropped again, so definitely alchohol no good for me at the mo. I'm therefore going to leave right off it.

thrifty_fifty

Application put in, about 15 others to do this week.

Tomorrow will be spent seeing what other training I can go on, and looking into doing ACCA qualification and also registering my seller account with ebay. This is it, no messing around, everything is going. I want that new life with OH and it's about time we got it. Off for a bath now and read my book before returning it to the library tomorrow.

thrifty_fifty

Apologies for several million posts today. I cannot believe I have just been reduced to a complete jibbering mess. I went for a nice relaxing bath and then the blues just struck me. I got out of the bath and just sobbed and sobbed uncontrollably into the bath mat. I've just scraped myself up and come downstairs, I feel sick I don't want any dinner, I just don't know what to do with myself I really don't.

thrifty_fifty

Feeling a lot better this morning. Had a good nights sleep, unaided. Have made some rules for myself: no alcohol at all, no switching on the laptop at night, and just spend the evenings doing crafts, and relaxing.

Just had a d'oh moment because I thought I had not changed the date on my covering letter for the job I applied for yesterday. Just checked and I did.

Decided I'm going to study for my ACCA, as I have some finance experience, OH has the books because he is studying towards it, and so all I have to pay for is annual membership and my exams which should be about £300.

Felt quite sorry for my manager yesterday. Brought us all a creme egg, and kept popping into the office. Not something they normally do, but I think to be honest they needed some company. I don't know whether I'm right here, but I think particularly when people have worked together for a long time, they become like a small community, and this counts to the loss when you lose your job. I certainly know in our section, we have a real team spirit and a laugh together, and I'm certainly going to miss them all, although of course I'll stay friends.

Plans for today are more applications, looking up the meanings of things and just generally some work on me.

Decided today as a confidence boosting thing that I'm going to write what I call my cheesy application. Basically I'm going to write it in that style that uses that buzz word style, so something like 'with extensive experience of .....I have proven ability in improving the customer experience' What the hell, lets go for it.

I have come across so many people in my various jobs that have no talent but bags of confidence, and those are the ones that get on. I've also come across so many talented people, who generally save the behinds of these people, but they are never recognised because they lurk in the background. I've got some good experience in finance and admin, and now some team leader stuff, so what am I waiting for?

Today's motto is 'just do it'

thrifty_fifty

Today is the one year anniversary of me starting my DFW journey and it has been a year since I have used a credit card. Now that's an achievement!!

There are just three weeks left until I clear my first debt-my Barclaycard, which stood at £2117 when I started out on here. My next aim is to clear my loan, as although this is a smaller amount than my Virgin Card, the amount I pay is fixed monthly at £200.70. This runs out in August, but with the shaky job situation, I thought it wise to pay this first, as I can vary the amount I pay off my credit card.

It's a rocky road ahead,and I'll breath a sigh of relief when this is over, but lets go for it!!!

The remainder of this year will be spent clearing OH debt, at around 6k. We can do it!!

thrifty_fifty

Going for NSD number 2 out of 10 today.

Barclaycard sent me another one of their "tempting" letters yesterday. Do a balance transfer and keep it all on one place. Hmmm yes, I'd rather that one place be in my bank account thank-you, so get lost. I'm paying this off in three weeks time, I can't believe it. Wahooo!!!!