Читать книгу The Rise of the Chosen Ones - Joseph C. Parker - Страница 10

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MYTH

THE MYTH OF THE CHOSEN ONE

So why are so many still waiting to be chosen? We wait for a chance at success or fame hoping to get that big break by being chosen by others.

Throughout history, we have heard the legendary stories of the mythical chosen one. In these fables, the chosen one is born of or chosen for greatness, success, or adventure. Often, the chosen one is not even aware of their potential until some event forces it to come forward. Then, they rise and fulfill some immense service to the world.

These legends of history are even embodied in religion and ancient books such as the Bible or Aesop’s Fables. The Jews were considered the chosen people by some accounts. It could also be argued that God chose Jesus. There is a lot of choosing going on in these stories, but only for a few.

In more recent times, theater and movies have kept this myth alive. The wizard Harry Potter from the books and movies was recognized as chosen for greatness due to his unknown ability to have seemingly defeated Voldemort. In the story, the great, evil wizard Voldemort came to kill Harry when he was just an infant. Both his parents were killed in the battle, but Voldemort lost almost all of his powers and fled terribly weakened while Harry sustained only a lightning-shaped scar on his head. What a conversation starter the scar must have been.

Luke Skywalker from the movie Star Wars was chosen to become a Jedi Knight and save the galaxy from the evil Galactic Empire. According to the movie, after the demise of the Jedi Knights, Luke was chosen by one of the last remaining Jedis to train as one and fulfill his destiny of toppling the evil Empire. Unknown to Luke, his father served the Empire as a Sith. He was certainly born for this job! After many battles, misgivings, and mistakes, Luke becomes a Jedi, and he destroys the dreaded Death Star weapon.

The mythical chosen one is supposedly instilled at birth or by another with special virtues and skills that set them apart from everyone else. Everything then comes naturally to them, and they require little effort to accomplish great tasks. They feel no fear but may initially doubt their abilities. They have intellect and wisdom far above our own. They may not have acquired greatness yet, but it’s just a matter of time until they do. How can we all sign up for this job?

Hollywood loves this storyline. In another classic example from 1986, Eddie Murphy starred in the movie The Golden Child, which begins in a temple in the distant land of Nepal. Chosen one stories always have an adventure in them. In the story, a young boy has mystical powers and abilities, shows his power to the monks of the temple and, to their amazement, revives a dead bird. Then, to create the movie plot, the boy is captured by some villains and held hostage.

Eddie Murphy, an altruistic and funny social worker in Los Angeles, is contacted by a mysterious Asian woman who tells him of the kidnapping. She says he is the chosen one who will save the child. He does not believe her, although he finds her so attractive he decides to pretend so he can keep her around. He initially doubts his abilities, but soon finds himself on the crazy search for the captors, who for some reason brought the child to Los Angeles.

Ultimately, he finds the courage and strength to save the boy and even win over the beautiful girl. Why does he do this? Did he really need a date that badly? Does he do this because he was the chosen one? Who chose him again? To recap, the Asian woman chose him based upon some divine guidance. And so, true to the chosen one myth, he struggles to believe in his destiny but ultimately prevails.

There are many other movies, which show men and women chosen somehow for greatness. War movies often show soldiers who are chosen to perform a great mission. These men and women usually earn it the hard way. However, the myth often shows examples of people who are able to achieve their goals without hard work, determination, vision, or persistence.

The mythical chosen one achieves their goals by having special abilities, destiny, or luck. They set an unfortunate example for the world that you are either born or chosen for greatness, or you are not. It sounds like a great life, but most of us have not been chosen this way.

Where are the successful movies and stories of the countless men and women who weren’t born chosen? Where are the stories of the ones who were born poor, uneducated, disadvantaged, and fearful? Where are the stories of the ones who accomplished amazing things despite their circumstances? We rarely see these types of stories in the popular media. I guess they don’t make for compelling movie trailers.

When we see so many mythical chosen one role models, like those shown in The Golden Child, Star Wars, and Harry Potter, it is little wonder that most don’t believe success can happen for them. We are not all a chosen one according to the myth. What if we had better role models showing people of modest means transforming their lives and finding their own greatness? If more role models such as this existed, you would be empowered, inspired, and even motivated. Is there a personal power shortage in most of our lives? I think so.

The examples above show the deception and trap of the chosen one myth. It takes away our personal responsibility and power. It leads us to live in a fantasy world where others control our lives, and we wait for them to make choices for us. It degrades the playing field so that we believe that others have innate abilities and destinies that we cannot share. It distracts us from the true lesson of the mythical chosen one, which will soon be revealed.

Finally, the myth talks of the chosen one instead of the chosen ones. Aren’t we all truly chosen ones? How can the universe love some more than others? In truth, we can all be chosen ones, because nobody possesses wisdom or skill that we do not all share. What we see in popular movies and literature is a farce that teaches us weakness instead of power. It teaches us to rely on outside factors to determine our fate. The mythical chosen one story is truly a myth that holds you back.

There is a fundamental lesson to be learned from these stories if you pay attention to a key issue. What was the common thread that caused Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, and Eddie Murphy’s character in The Golden Child to overcome their mediocre lives and accomplish great tasks? Here is a hint: It was not the act of being chosen by someone else. No, even for them being chosen came long before they were able to come into their own power. Being chosen was just a turning point in their lives. It began the journey. It was merely a starting point.

Think of yourself. You know there is huge creativity inside of you waiting to come out. Once you are able to break free from the complacency of waiting, an amazing life will come forth. So why are so many of us still waiting to be chosen? We wait for a chance at success or fame hoping to get that big break from others. To be chosen by an agent, a talent scout, a publishing company, a senior executive, a coach, or a TV show. Is waiting really that much fun?

We have become followers in a very patient world. A world where our patience costs us the loss of our dreams, in exchange for the meager hope of a modest retirement. We distract ourselves on the TV, mobile device, and the Internet to prevent us from noticing the life we missed.

We often wait so long that we fall asleep at the wheel of our lives. Many of us have stopped dreaming and making goals because it’s too painful. Dreams are only motivational if we believe we can obtain them. Dreams with little hope of being realized due to their dependence upon others become just reminders of our mediocrity.

So let’s understand the myth of the chosen one for what it really is – a poor example of how to succeed. It’s an exclusive club that has few members, in fact, no members. Remember; it’s a lie that only some of us are chosen. We are all chosen ones. Are you not tired of being lied to?

Let’s now move forward and release this myth so that it will no longer have power over us. Then let’s examine this myth from another perspective that provides us with power and removes our weaknesses. Your future is bright, and you will soon discover the key that will make you one of the self-chosen ones.