I heard this idea on a podcast, and it worked as a good reminder: in many Romanian fairy tales, there is only one hero (the main character, the one who sets out on the journey, the one who has to go through trials, the one who defeats the dragon).
Except that he is never alone. Along the way, all kinds of seemingly secondary characters appear: one who can see very far, another who runs extremely fast, one who hears everything, another who can move mountains or drink an entire lake. Often they seem eccentric, have funny names, or are even uncomfortable.
And yet, in critical moments, they make the difference.
Except that he is never alone. Along the way, all kinds of seemingly secondary characters appear: one who can see very far, another who runs extremely fast, one who hears everything, another who can move mountains or drink an entire lake. Often they seem eccentric, have funny names, or are even uncomfortable.
And yet, in critical moments, they make the difference.
The hero does not win because he is perfect.
He wins because he has the right people by his side.
In real life, the myth of the solitary hero is very powerful. We are told that successful people are those who “manage themselves”, who “don’t need anyone”, who “pull hard and succeed”.
He wins because he has the right people by his side.
In real life, the myth of the solitary hero is very powerful. We are told that successful people are those who “manage themselves”, who “don’t need anyone”, who “pull hard and succeed”.
But if we look honestly at any real success story, we will always find those fairy tale characters. People who:
- tell us the truth when we don’t see it
- help us when we run out of energy
- open a door for us
- believe in us at a time when we no longer believe
Healthy success is not solitary. It is built together.
Sometimes, helpers are mentors. Sometimes they are friends. Sometimes they are colleagues. Sometimes it is even family.
The important question is not only “what do I want to achieve?”, but also:
Who are my helpers on the road? or
Who am I a helper for?
Because in good stories, the roles even change. In one chapter, you are the hero; in another, you are the one who sees ahead for someone else.
And the stories worth living are not the ones about lone heroes. They are the ones about paths traveled together.