Beware the Gatekeeper

“All heros encounter obstacles on the road to adventure” – Christopher Vogler.

Let’s say for a moment that you are a hero and for some reason life has offered you an adventure. It could be a new job, new relationship or a decision to overcome outdated habits. Pretty much any major life change will qualify as the adventure.

Now, remember that you know you’re the hero of this story. You’re also pretty sure that the adventure will throw you some curve balls and nastiness. You see this as something positive because you know that the bigger the obstacle that stands in your way, the closer you must be to your objective. The hero wouldn’t be much of a hero if he could just toss the dragon some Meow Mix and stroll past into the cave to claim the treasure, right?

Christopher Vogler, in his book The Writer’s Journey – Mythic Structure for Writers, calls these obstacles Threshold Guardians. Vogler says that in storytelling these Guardians serve the purpose of testing the hero to see if she is really determined to accept the challenge.

The reality of course is that few of us see ourselves as a hero in an adventure story. Life is what it is and as some wit once said “shit happens.” But pay attention and you’ll noticed that when you try to make a major change for the better, brick walls seem to appear in front of you. Each obstacle you encounter on the path to your goals can feel like a cosmic warning to give up and turn back.

Vogler writes that heros deal with these Guardians in a number of ways: They can turn and run (my favorite), attack head-on, use bribery and deceit, or try appeasement. Many heroes defeat the Guardian by entering into their skin and use the Guardian’s own strength against itself.  Think of Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz marching into the wicked witch’s stronghold disguised as the her minions.

In fiction, and maybe in life too, no matter what method the hero uses to overcome the obstacles, the most important lesson she can learn is to recognize the Threshold Guardians not as dangerous enemies but as useful allies “who serve as early indicators that a new power or success is coming.”

Question: What or who is the Threshold Guardian in your life right now?

Writing Exercise: Write for at least 10 minutes on each of the following prompts:

1)     Change means . . .

2)     When I’m faced with an obstacle in life, I . . .

3)     I now know ____ is not impossible because . . .