Mythology: The Ancient Tales That Show Us How to Live Better

Mythology has a timeless quality. These are blueprints for the human experience, encased in drama, adventure, and a little chaos, rather than merely dusty old tales from distant lands.

One story in particular caught my attention as a child and has stuck with me ever since: Journey to the West. A monk, a monkey king, a pig demon, and a sand demon are all on a pilgrimage for holy texts in this classic Chinese tale. However, beneath the magical battles and shape-shifting demons lies something more significant: a life roadmap.

The Significance of Ancient Tales

It's easy to believe that myths are outdated in a society that is fixated on convenience and speed. However, what is the reality? Every day, we embody our own variations of them.

The Quest: We are all traveling toward something we believe will fulfill us, whether that be establishing a family, launching a business, or pursuing a personal objective.

The Challenges: Life presents its fair share of challenges, including deadlines, bills, illness, and self-doubt, but not the horned kind.

The Companions: The people we travel with have just as much of an impact on the journey as the final destination, just like in the myths.

My Philosophy of Monkey King

I've always been captivated by Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, in Journey to the West. He is impatient, rebellious, and incredibly self-assured. He acts without waiting for approval. He also makes a lot of mistakes. However, every error is a learning opportunity.

I keep that in mind in both my personal and professional life:

Not all rules are worth adhering to, so rebel when it counts.

Remain resourceful because Wukong has the ability to transform a hair into an army. Despite the fact that we lack magic hair, our inventiveness is incredibly powerful.

Sometimes it's more fun to fight than to win, so enjoy the chaos.

Leading a Mythical Life

Myths are merely tales of individuals navigating uncertainty if the dragons and heavenly palaces are removed. They serve as a reminder that:

Struggle is a necessary part of the journey, not a diversion.

Your trip will be made or broken by the people you travel with.

The person who defies the status quo is sometimes the hero.

Therefore, perhaps having everything figured out isn't the only way to live better. Perhaps it means embracing the adventure, keeping a small amount of Monkey King defiance in your pocket, and relishing the crazy journey.

The journey is what matters, after all.