Some people, we say, have “soul”. They have loved, they have suffered, they have a deep sense of life’s meaning. Perhaps, most important, they know who they are.
Other people seem to have lost their souls. They may have material possessions – the right house, the right car, the right job, the right clothes; they may even have a stable family life and seem happy. But inside themselves, they feel empty. Even when they go through the right motions it is a movement without meaning.
Still other people love and suffer and feel life intensely; but they never really get their lives together. They cannot find work or personal relationships that truly satisfy them, and so they feel constantly constrained. Although they may be connected to their souls, they feel cut off from the world.
Saddest of all are people who never learn how to make their way in the world or how to be true to their own souls. Their lives are empty and unrewarding – yet unnecessarily so: virtually all of us are capable of finding meaning and purpose in our lives and in the life of the human community.
We find a model for learning how to live in stories about heroism. The Hero’s Journey is about saying yes to yourself and, in so doing, becoming more fully alive and more effective in the world. For the hero’s journey is first about taking a journey to find the treasure of your true self, and then about returning home to give your gift to help transform the kingdom – and, in the process, your own life. The quest itself is replete with dangers and pitfalls, but it offers great rewards: the capacity to be successful in the world knowledge of the mysteries of the power of your story. The story you tell yourself about yourself. The opportunity to find and express your unique gifts in the world, and to live in loving community with other people.
The Storyteller Within is for people at all stages of life’s journey: it is a call to the quest for those just considering or beginning the journey; it provides reinforcement for longtime journeyers; and it is a tool for people already far along on their journeys who are looking for ways to share an pass on what they have learned. Each journey is unique and each traveller charts a new path. But it is infinitely easier to do so having at least some knowledge about the experiences of those who have gone before. When we learn about the many different heroic paths available to us, we understand that there is room for all of us to be heroic in our own unique ways.
Stories about heroes are deep and eternal. They link our own longing and pain and passion with those who have come before in such a way that we learn something about the essence of what it means to be human, and they also teach us how we are connected. The stories that can give our lives significance are deeply primal and archetypal and can strike terror into our hearts but they can also free us from unauthentic lives and make us real. Finding our own connection with such eternal story patterns provides a sense of meaning and significance in even the most challenging moments and in this way restores nobility to life.
The paradox of modern life is that at the same time that we are living in ways never done before and therefore daily recreating our world, our actions often feel rootless and empty. To transcend this state, we need to feel rooted simultaneously in history and eternity.
This is why the story of the hero is so important in the contemporary world. It is a timeless myth that links us to peoples of all times and places. It is about fearlessly leaping off the edge of the known to confront the unknown and trusting that when the time comes, we will have what we need to face our dragons, discover our treasures and return to transform the kingdom. It is also about learning to be true to ourselves and live in responsible community with another.
In classical myth the health of the kingdom reflected the health of the King or Queen. When the Ruler was wounded the kingdom became a wasteland. To heal the kingdom, it was necessary for a hero to undertake a quest, find a sacred object, and return to heal or replace the Ruler. Our world reflects many of the classic symptoms of the wasteland kingdom: Covid, famine, climate change, economic uncertainty, rampant injustice, racism, personal despair and alienation and the threat of war and annihilation. Our “kingdoms” reflect the state of our collective souls not just those of our leaders. This is a time in human history when heroism is greatly needed. Like heroes of old, we aid in restoring life, health and happiness to the kingdom as a side benefit of taking our own journeys, finding our own destinies and giving our unique gifts. It is as if the world were a giant puzzle and each of us who takes a journey returns with one piece. Collectively, as we contribute our part, the kingdom is transformed.
The transformation of the kingdom depends upon all of us. Understanding this helps us move beyond a competitive stance into a concern with empowering ourselves and others. If some people “lose” and do not make their potential contribution, we all lose. If we lack the courage to take our journeys we create a void where our piece of the puzzle could have been, to the collectieve, as well as our personal, detriment.
The Hero’s Journey in Paris: The Storyteller Within
“The Hero’s Journey is about saying “yes” to yourself and in doing, becoming more fully alive and more effective in the world….The quest is replete with dangers and pitfalls, but if offers great rewards: the capacity to be successful in the world, knowledge of the mysteries of the stories you tell yourself and the opportunity to find and express your unique gifts in the world”
In this bold and original journey, Peter de Kuster shows that the hero’s journey isn’t just for certain people under special circumstances. Exploring the many heroic paths available to each of us at every point in our lives, his innovative program enables us to live heroically by activating and applying twelve archetypes in our lives.
In this journey in Paris Peter outlines twelve archetypal patterns that can aid your inner story development and your quest for wholeness.
These archetypes are inner stories that can help us
- prepare for our journey, by learning how to become successful members of society;
- embark upon the quest, by becoming initiated into the power of the story we tell ourselves and
- return to transform our lives and business as a result of claiming our uniqueness and personal power.
Created for individuals seeking to realize their full potential and professionals engaged in empowering others, Peter shows how journeys differ by age, gender and cultural background of the traveller, and how archetypes help awaken the capacities of our storytelling. A unique test, the “What Story are You Living? and excercises are included to help us understand and awaken our inner stories.
What Can I Expect?
Here’s an outline of the Hero’s Journey in Paris: The Storyteller Within
Journey Outline
PART I THE STORYTELLER WITHIN
- Introduction
- The Stages of the Journey
- The Ego: Protecting Who We Are
- The Soul: Entering the Mysteries
- The Self: Expressing Ourselves in the World
- Beyond The Hero’s Journey
About Peter de Kuster
Peter de Kuster is the founder of The Heroine’s Journey & Hero’s Journey project, a storytelling firm which helps creative professionals to create careers and lives based on whatever story is most integral to their lives and careers (values, traits, skills and experiences). Peter’s approach combines in-depth storytelling and marketing expertise, and for over 20 years clients have found it effective with a wide range of creative business issues.
Peter is writer of the series The Heroine’s Journey and Hero’s Journey books, he has an MBA in Marketing, MBA in Financial Economics and graduated at university in Sociology and Communication Sciences.
IS THE HERO’S JOURNEY FOR YOU?
You are a creative professional who is interested in developing yourself and your creative business. - You are aware that there are no quick fixes. Learning is a journey that works when you are fully committed to it. A guide like Peter de Kuster can bring awareness and help you navigate, but in the end it’s you who is in charge of your growth.
- You want to learn more about how to tell yourself a more powerful story, learn about blind spots, and get feedback.
- You are curious and want to engage in an interactive learning journey with Peter de Kuster.
- You are motivated to work in-between journeys on yourself (e.g. working on questions that will help you develop new storytelling, mindsets, skills, and behaviors).
WHAT’S YOUR QUEST-ION?
The Hero’s Journey is all about your development. To make the most out of your journey with Peter, we ask you to prepare topics to work on with him. These topics can serve as a starting point for further in-depth exploration.
PRICING
Three Day Journey in Paris for EUR 2,950 (excl. VAT)
BOOK THE HERO’S JOURNEY
FAQ
Who can sign up for The Hero’s Journey?
Creative professionals who wish to improve their storytelling, mindset(s) and develop their leadership skills.
What language do we speak in the journey?
English
Can I bring my own topics?
Yes, you get to choose your own topic.
Are journeys confidential?
Yes. Peter will not share anything that is discussed in the journey.
Where will the journeys take place?
Sessions will take place travelling with Peter a world city like Paris, Rome, Florence, Barcelona, Amsterdam, London, Antwerp, Venice, New York, Berlin, Madrid.
How do I sign up?
Send Peter an email to theherojourneyquestionnaires@gmail.com
How do I pay?
After you booked The Hero’s Journey by sending an email to Peter you will receive an email with info how to pay.
How do I book and reschedule a journey?
Once we’ve received your payment, our Program Coordinator will book your journey. She will also support you with rescheduling journeys if needed.
What is your cancellation policy?
Individual journeys can be postponed up to one week before the journey.
The Hero's Journey 