“What would the hero of your life’s movie do right now?” asks Joe Rogan, a stand-up comedian and podcaster. “We define ourselves far too often by our past failures. That’s not you. You are this person right now. You’re the person who has learned from those failures. Build confidence and momentum with each good decision you make from here on out and choose to be inspired.”
Last year, Joe Rogan released a short video called “Be The Hero of Your Own Movie.” There, he tells us to not let our past failures define us, but to let ourselves be the heroes, the stars, and the main characters of our own movies and to learn from our failures.
Heroes are not flawless. Consider Odysseus. If you have ever read The Odyssey, you would definitely remember how Odysseus had some nasty issues with pride. Remember how he blinded Polyphemus and, out of his own hubris, blurted out that his name was Odysseus, which provoked Polyphemus to pray to Poseidon who then made Odysseus’s life onerous over the course of, what, 20 books? Better yet, remember how Circe specifically told Odysseus to not fight off the immortal Scylla, but he, out of impulse and pride, attempted to fight her anyway, and lost six of his best men? Odysseus definitely wasn’t the symbol of perfection.
However, heroes are called heroes for a reason. After having gone through numerous internal and external conflicts, Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, his native land. While we point out and analyze Odysseus’s flaws in The Odyssey, we don’t default into thinking that Odysseus’s flaws define him. Instead, we prize his bravery and his cunning words and actions. So then, why should we often let our failures define us? Because we’re not as heroic and as great as Odysseus? Well, here’s the thing: Odysseus lives in this novel where he’s the main character — the spotlight of his story. That’s why he appears to be so great. That’s also why his men are portrayed as useless, “mutinous fools” who don’t do anything properly. If one of his shipmen were to be the main character of his own story, the book would completely turn a different way. Perhaps Odysseus wouldn’t even be remembered.
What does The Odyssey have to do with Choaties? I’m sure we all remember seeing our midterm grades a couple of weeks ago, which might have failed to meet our expectations. What I want to say in this article is that your grades do not define who you are right now. Rather, your grades and your failures lend you an opportunity to change, and to make wiser decisions. These are the tasks that only you can perform. Parallel to that, as much as heroes need the help of their comrades, it’s up to the hero himself to make the final decision in the end.
Here is life’s sweetest secret: school is a simulation of life. And grades are just one of the countless symbols of mortal struggle. The world awaiting you out there will be so much more different than it is now. Grades are only helping you set up goals and make better decisions in this stage of life, so that you can make use of this skill in your later life.
Unfortunately, you can’t possibly become Odysseus. But you can become your own hero. Just imagine that you’re featured in a movie where you receive the spotlight. Tell yourself that you’re the most important person on earth, and that everything you do directly affects how your life–your own movie–unravels. Would you still be making the same decisions as you are making now?
