Your Odyssey

Odysseus from the Odyssey movie

We are all on a journey. If not an actual journey, a metaphorical one.

Life is a journey. The destination, if you have determined one, can be important, but I suspect it is not as important as the journey.

An Epic Story

I recently saw the new Christopher Nolan film, The Odyssey. It is quite epic. Shot entirely in the IMAX format and they reportedly used more than 2 million feet of IMAX film. That’s a serious commitment. I decided to see the film in an IMAX theater and it was impressive.

Perhaps more impressive is the discovery that our lives as journeys are full of goals, ideals, fears, challenges and hope. In this sense your life is an odyssey.

The History Within

Your odyssey, if reviewed, reflected upon, and shared in the form of a memoir or life story, can help you discover the history within. As a famous philosopher reportedly once stated, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” That quote is attributed to Socrates. Whether he said it or not, there is something worth considering about the statement.

In Homer’s epic poem he tells the story of a Greek general who leads his men into battle against the powerful city of Troy. He is part of a larger force sent to avenge the King of Sparta’s wife leaving him for another lover and fleeing to Troy.

Troy is savagely destroyed and thousands killed and that is something that Odysseus is traumatized by. In war the victors only seem to win.

Odysseus and his men stay stranded on the beach by Troy for a decade before eventually leaving for home, but without a certain idea of which direction. Along the way there are all kinds of trials and tribulations. It’s quite a mythic adventure and if you are familiar with the tale then you have an idea of how hard it was for Odysseus to eventually find a way home where he has a new challenge. In the twenty years he has been gone many suitors have been living off his wealth and each one hoping to sway Penelope, the queen and faithful wife of Odysseus.

Connecting to Your Own Odyssey

How this epic journey can connect to our own lives, our own odyssey, is recognizing that most of us grow up yearning to discover our place in the world and our purpose in life. And most of us encounter challenges, some bigger than others, some that might even be life threatening.

If we explore our life journey we might learn some valuable things about ourselves. A memoir or life story can be an important way to process the journey and share the lessons.

French Twist--A Tale of Travel, Testing and Triumph

Janine Winters did this well with her memoir, French Twist–A Tale of Travel, Testing and Triumph, which I wrote for her. We spent a few years on the project and it certainly demonstrates that her odyssey was long, difficult, but eventually rewarding.

Will you explore your personal odyssey? It might be a long and arduous task, but with dedication, learning how the process works, and getting help from a memoir writer, coach or personal historian you will have a better chance at completing your very important and personal journey.

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