Jim Clemmer

The search for meaning is as old as humankind itself. At the societal level, every culture has searched for meaning through religion, mythology, and related pursuits. This clearly comes from deep personal yearnings we all have to find meaning and purpose in our lives. I believe the constant and continuous search is a key part of the journey. It's not so much in the finding as in the searching. Once we have stopped searching and think we have found the answer, it slips from our grasp. So we have to keep searching.<br />
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I have become fascinated by ancient mythology and modern storytelling such as in movies, books, and television. Based on his extensive research for his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell says that our "call to adventure is the personal and unique search for meaning and purpose in our lives. Only we can take this journey. We need to accept the call and push forward in our quest. It's very hard to tell you which path we should take since we all have to find our own way.<br />
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In my attempts to answer my own call to adventure and help others through my writing and workshops, I have developed three key questions that form the center of our being (and adventure quest). These are; Where am I trying to go (picturing my Preferred Future)? What do I believe in? Why do I exist?<br />
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A key part of the quest is to examine our mental frameworks and how we deal with adversity and challenges in our life. I've found a Navigator-Survivor-Victim model has proven to be very useful for this. You can review it in the March 2004 issue of my monthly newsletter at http://www.clemmer.net/newsl/mar2004.html. <br />