*plop*

I closed the book I was reading as part of my daily ritual...

A book a day.

It was a ritual that had benefited me in more ways than one. Thinking back
on all the books I'd read, a smile crept across my face with the addition
of yet another to my mind's vast network of knowledge.

I looked at the book I'd set down:

"The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers"

It was a book about The Hero's Journey, a 12 part story structure found in
almost every good story, including Hollywood and Disney movies. The
structure is so powerful that using it will, not only make you a better
storyteller, but a much more powerful copywriter, marketer and
communicator.

One of the things the book talks about:

Common story archetypes.

Also known as...

... cliched characters with familiar personalities that you always see
again and again in stories and film.

The most important of those archetypes?

The Hero.

Of course.

But what was really interesting to me was how the book described the word
Hero.

When you're watching a movie or reading a novel, there is no sign above
someone's head that says that this guy is the hero or that guy is the hero.

So how do you know who's the hero?

Here's what the book says:

"The hero can be described as the character that displays the most progress
or growth."

Interesting.

A hero is someone who achieves great progress or growth...

Maybe that's why many people consider their mom to be their greatest hero.

The beginning of motherhood is a difficult time.

And during that time, growth is not an option. It's mandatory.

From the time that you first knew you were having a child, you dealt with
mixed emotion you'd never had before.

Fear.

Excitement.

Anxiety.

Hope.

Thoughts of the future ran through your head.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Do I have enough saved up for their college?"

"How will we manage with the little time and income we have now?"

You had to learn to deal with all these new thoughts and emotions. And at
the same time learn how to cope, not only emotionally, but physically,
financially and mentally to deal with the rough months ahead. But those
weren't the only things you had to learn...

You had to learn to do more. With less time.

You had to learn to get more. With less money.

You had to learn to love more. With less sleep.

Every month after your child was born, it was just a constant cycle of
growth and learning, growth and learning. From one to two, and two to
three. And as they grew up, things started changing, and you had to adapt.
And grow...

New feelings.

New memories.

New emotions.

New tantrums.

New environments.

New friends.

New places.

New decisions.

New accidents.

Month after month. Day after day. Things changed.

And you had to change right along with it...

Before you knew it... they grew up... and were ready to leave on their own
Hero's Journey.

But all that time, from birth until now, they had the comfort of knowing
that there was a hero standing right beside them, ready to support them
however it may be.

And so it continues...

The hero's journey never ends.

A lifetime of love. And a lifetime of learning.

Thank you for being a hero.

Happy Mother's Day.


Sincerely,
Teddy "Son Of A Hero" Tyson


P.S. Look out for another email from me later on...

It's important.

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