It is quite interesting. About a month and a half ago, as part of our Code4000 ‘Hero’s Journey’ campaign I was tasked with writing a blog about ‘Crossing the Threshold’. I tried to place myself into the role of the hero and to relate Amanul’s incredible story to my daily life. Funny enough, after publishing that blog I truly began to cross some sort of threshold myself. Exam season kicked off. I was rejected by all of my masters applications. My personal life became more or less an absolute mess. The consequences were quite classic. A surge in anxieties and meal-deals directly correlated to a 2008-esque drop in sporting activities and confidence. I am not saying this to make you feel sorry for me. If I wanted consolation I would open Deliveroo, not Microsoft Word.
The reason I wanted to share those things is because now, a month and a half later, I am writing about the part in the Hero’s journey whereby the Hero returns with ‘The Special Knowledge’. I have now finished my exams, my main source of anxieties comes from hangovers and I am almost excited that my rejections mean I can mould next year into whatever I want it to be. It truly feels as though my little Hero’s Journey at Cambridge is coming to an end. So, how come the Hero’s Journey aligned so well with my past weeks? I am not particularly heroic, and the obstacles I have passed are nothing compared to Amanul’s. It is because the Hero’s journey is not about me. It’s about you, it’s about Amanul, it is about every single person in the world and at the same time it is about no one at all. I outlined some of my bad times above to make you empathise. I wanted you to think about that one month, or the many, when you had something to get over, or things just weren’t going your way. I do not want to be a downer, but if you can remind yourself of those days during which you genuinely thought it would not get better. Your favourite shows seemed cheesy and your comfort food tasted bland. It was horrible… but it did get better right? Somehow, whether it happens in an instant or you trudge through the days, at some point things just get better. People describe this as ‘time doing its thing’ but I don’t think that is totally true. I think you deserve some credit. Whatever was wrong, you were patient, and you tried to get through it and you did. You were a Hero. You completed the cycle.
I think after my three years at Cambridge, through all the lockdowns and deadlines, that is the special knowledge I am returning with. We are always at some stage of the Hero’s cycle. We can be at multiple stages at one moment in time depending on what angle you look at your life from. My main point here is that challenges will never end. I know you are waiting for that one assignment to be over but we also both know that another is just around the corner. The Hero’s special knowledge is that this cycle of cycles is ok. After every challenge we come out with more special knowledge, our superpowers are enhanced and we go and take on bigger challenges.
Amanul had an incredibly tough cycle. He had to rely on effort and hope. Against all odds, he learnt coding and has set himself up for a successful future. However, coding was not the special knowledge he returned with. The special knowledge was proving to himself that he can get through anything. Amanul’s cycle is not over. He has a plethora of challenges ahead. But he is a Hero, and a true Hero is excited by challenges. Amanul knows that however tough, he will return from each cycle stronger and smarter.
So as a final reminder, whether you are in a fun stage of the cycle or a tough one; you got this. It is a cliche but a good one. Things will get better and things will get worse. Once you accept that this is the fate of a Hero you can truly start acting like one.
