Embracing the Ordinary World: Why Boring is the Backbone of the Hero’s Journey
In the quiet minutes between dropping kids off, organizing the chaos, and ticking through our daily list, life doesn’t always feel like an epic journey. It’s more like a carousel—familiar, predictable, and yes, sometimes boring. But recently, in a conversation with my kids, Ava and Andrew, about the Hero’s Journey, I started to see the “Ordinary World” differently. Maybe this part of the journey—our everyday grind—isn’t something to shrug off. Maybe it’s the anchor we need to appreciate all that’s thrilling about change.
What Exactly is the Ordinary World?
In Hero’s Journey language, the Ordinary World is the familiar space where life is steady and mostly predictable. No dragons lurking, no magical artifacts to discover, just regular routines, comfortable conversations, and mundane habits. When I asked Ava and Andrew what they thought of the Ordinary World, they were quick to label it: school, sleep, meals. Nothing crazy, just the expected rhythm of a day.
But it’s not just about the absence of adventure. The Ordinary World is our Comfort Zone, the backdrop that gives all our future challenges context. Andrew pointed out that it’s hard to know if you’re growing or facing anything extraordinary unless you’ve got this ordinary baseline to compare it to.
Comfort Zones: Cozy, but Maybe Just a Little Boring?
Ava had an interesting perspective. She thinks the Ordinary World is fine, but maybe a bit less important than the other parts of the journey. After all, who remembers the cozy bits of any story? But I see her point. In a world where we all crave meaning and transformation, it’s easy to dismiss the “just fine” of life as something less. But the Ordinary World has its own kind of significance: it’s where we recharge, connect, and yes, sometimes get a little bored.
Andrew got me thinking, though, about how crucial that very boredom might be. In a world where every day starts to blur together, that small spark of restlessness is often what stirs the real magic. It’s the signal that maybe, just maybe, we’re ready for the next phase—a Call to Adventure.
The Stories We Know and the Ordinary Worlds We Forget
Movies and books love to dramatize the Ordinary World. We talked about The Truman Show, where life was quite literally scripted. For Truman, each day was the same, a rhythm so set in stone that it felt like he was on a loop. Andrew connected this to how he sometimes feels about his own routine—predictable, almost robotic. Yet, in Truman’s case, it was that same predictability that made his eventual escape so impactful.
Disney gets this too. In Frozen 2, Arendelle’s usual routines and kingdom life set the stage for Elsa’s adventure. Without that backdrop of quiet, everyday life, her Call to Adventure into the Unknown wouldn’t feel as intense, as necessary. The contrast between ordinary and extraordinary helps us recognize both for what they are. And isn’t that true in our own lives?
Do We Need the Ordinary to See the Extraordinary?
Andrew made a compelling point: without the Ordinary World, the Hero’s Journey would be missing a crucial beat. Imagine if every story opened mid-adventure, chaos from the start. There’d be no foothold for our heroes, and we’d lose the relatability that comes from knowing they’re just people, going about their lives, just like we do.
The quiet, sometimes “boring” moments? They’re actually pretty profound. They give us the chance to reflect, to build, and to re-calibrate. As parents, we spend a lot of time wishing for less monotony and more adventure—yet it’s the lull in between the storms that make us see the storm clearly when it finally arrives.
The Ordinary World in Our Own Lives
Let’s be real—parenting, for all its highs, also has plenty of quiet, routine-filled moments. Days where nothing seems to change, where the same questions, snacks, and routines play out on a loop. But maybe those days are the foundation our own Hero’s Journeys stand on. They’re the base camp we return to after a day of dealing with Unknowns that our kids—and life—inevitably throw at us.
As we talked, I asked my kids to consider their own “Ordinary World” at school or home. Was there anything they loved? Was there anything they found boring? Their answers surprised me. Ava mentioned the comfort of the familiar, while Andrew confessed that even comfort can get “kind of dull” when it’s too predictable. Together, we realized something: the Comfort Zone isn’t just cozy; it’s where we process, prepare, and wait.
Embracing the Mundane (Yes, Really)
Boredom might be the very thing we need to move forward. When we let ourselves rest and reset, we’re quietly equipping ourselves for that next unknown call. We can’t sprint through the Hero’s Journey non-stop—it’s the rest, the pause, that often punctuates both the end and the beginning of something important...and perhaps actually provide the kindling for the next spark of adventure that heads our way.
So next time you’re in the middle of a “boring” day, consider it part of the adventure. Even heroes need a cup of tea before they take on the Dragon.
Your Challenge of the Day:
We dare you to....take a moment to reflect on your own Ordinary World. What is one thing that you find comforting? What is getting stale? Is your Ordinary World helping you recharge and re-calibrate so you are ready to respond to your next Call to Adventure? Why or why not?
Related to this Episode
- #Hero'sJourney Collection - Explore how the timeless Hero's Journey narrative serves as the scaffolding for the stories we craft, share, and live—both with others and within ourselves.
- What Makes a Hero? - TED Ed video - Matthew Winkler - Andrew insisted that I post a link ;-)
- Check out the fun Hero's Journey Merch at www.SecretHeroProject.com
- #HeroToolshed Collection - Take a peek at some of the key tools our Heroes use everyday to level up their skills and mindset.
Other Podcast Episodes
There's more where that came from :-) Check out other Noodles in the Sandbox episodes wherever you get your podcasts!
About the Author
Angela is passionate about reshaping the way kids learn and grow. As the co-founder of Acton Academy Northwest Austin,
Angela is dedicated to fostering a learner-driven environment where
curiosity thrives and students take ownership of their educational
journeys. When not working with young heroes, they’re often exploring
big ideas on education, parenting, and lifelong learning right here on
the blog.
Want to learn more about our innovative approach to education? Check out Acton Academy Northwest Austin to see how we’re redefining school for the next generation of curious thinkers and independent learners.