A Hero’s Journey:A Letter To My Sisters

Table of Contents

PREFACE

1. The Ordinary World2. Call To Adventure3. Refusale of The Call4. Meeting The Mentor5. Crossing The First Threshold6. Road of Trials7. Supreme Ordeal (Crisis)8. Ultimate Boon9. Refusal of the Return/The Crossing of The Return Threshold10. Master of Two Worlds

CONCLUSION

Preface

To My Sisters:

This is an assignment for my GRA 101: Designing Life class called The Hero’s Journey. Throughout our lives, we’ll go through multiple journeys. Some times people consider themselves victims in their journey, but more or less, we will always be the heroines of our story. Why? Because I believe we were all meant for greatness and that we’re fighters. We’ll fight until we reach that goal. There will be plenty of ups and downs, great days and not so great days. I am writing with hopes that on those not so great days, this will guide you when you are lost or simply to remind you what is important. I know things don’t look so pretty for me right now, but this is the happiest I’ve been in a very long time. I’m finally doing things that I love, where work doesn’t seem like work and I feel like I’m actually making a difference in people’s lives. I’ll go through my journey to how I got to this point in my life, from the good to the bad and all the people who have helped me reach my goals.

Yes, we are all at very different points in our lives. So depending on where you are in your journey, these letters may serve a different purpose to each of you. However, I want you remember that no matter where you are or what you are doing, I will always be there for you. These words will always be there for you. To Cynthia, this might all make sense and give you an epiphany. To Annie, you might just be annoyed and wondering why the hell I’m being “SOOO DRAMATIC.” Either way, just shut up and listen.

“I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you are not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Ordinary World

I recently read an article from 99U called “A Troublemaker’s Manifesto: The Benefits of Wandering” by Sean Blanda where he talks about what he calls the “Checkbox Life.” We spend our whole lives going to school, getting our butts to college and graduating on time with the ultimate goal of landing a job that pays us decent money and has lot of benefits. And the reasons we do this are: 1) Mom and Dad said so and 2) Society said so. This is our “Ordinary World” it seems these days. For the most part, I followed this life pretty closely. I went through life checking my boxes just like I was supposed to. I went to school. I graduated from college on time-ish. I landed what I thought was my dream job in a tough economy. I was getting paid decent money and all that jazz too. Life was just perfect according to society.

Let’s fast forward 10 months later ...

It’s a gloomy Thursday afternoon, 10 minutes before the end of the business day. I’m making final touches to a 100+ slide report for one of our clients with plans to stay late and a little email notification pops-up saying, “Please Come See Me in My Office” from one of the directors. I didn’t think too much of it as I got up from my desk to walk to her office. However, my heart dropped the second I walked through that door undoubtedly. It was like I knew a heart-break was coming. Smiling brightly, the CEO’s daughter tells me that it’s my last day of work. She then turns it over to the project director who tries to console me with compliments of my skills and hard work. Holding back tears, I was able to muster up a few words to ask why. Again with a smile the CEO’s daughter says to me, “Your skill set is just too specific. We’re going to need you to sign some papers now. It states that you decided to quit and will not slander our name hereafter. If you do this, you’ll get a good recommendation from us for future employers and any PTO we owe you.” I was so emotionally overwhelmed in those 10 minutes, that I signed the papers without thinking and left.

In fact, I picked up my whole life that I built there in past 5 years and left.

1

“If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it.”

John Irving

Call To Adventure

I didn’t see it then, but the world or the “higher up” was trying to send me a message. When I moved back home, I knew I had to get back into the gym to lift weights and to be around people who had similar goals as I did. Prior to my return home I had been doing CrossFit for about 6 months, religiously. My gym, CrossFit Purgatory, in Tucson became my home and the people in it, my family. I immediately went in search of that here in Phoenix.

Remember when I tried to get mom and dad to work out? Yeah, me neither. Actually, the day I stepped into CrossFit Fury with them was probably the beginning of it all. It just felt right to be there. And little did we know, it’d take me to where I am today.

2

“He who refuses to embrace a unique opportunity loses the prize as surely as if he had failed.”

William James

Refusal of The Call

Of course, I took a major detour first. I reverted back to what I thought was safe. Hastedly, I also felt the need to run away from everything again. I took one job that I semi-enjoyed at the Kroc Center doing sales. The other job which I abhored, but accepted to make mom happy, was with Albertsons as a floating pharmacy technician. My head got big. So I moved out with my minumum wage jobs, thinking that working 70+ hours a week would make me happy.

While I was gone, I drank a lot. I smoked a lot of weed. There were many nights where I probably should have died and don’t even remember. I did it all out of spite, stress, and sadness. Now that is a triple S combo no one should ever encounter. I still went to the gym and tried to be good about my health, but there was no direction.

The constant hours of working took a toll on me. The drinking and smoking didn’t help either. I overcompensated for the many months I was unemployed, doing nothing, and trapped. I had felt like such a fail-ure to everyone, especially myself, for not being self-sufficient. I did this for about 4-5 months thinking it was normal. I don’t think I got to see you guys much either.

I’m sorry.

3

“When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream.”

Paulo Coelho

Meeting The Mentor

There were many factors that contribute to the positive change in my life. It began with reading and learning for myself again. Two books which I highly recommend are:

• Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill. This book brought me back to the right mindset of setting goals and finding something I was truly passionate about. It also helped me get organized again. If you’re re-ally lazy, take 30 minutes to listen to Earl Nightingale’s The Strangest Secret.

• The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown. I quit running away and hiding after this one. I learned to love myself for who I was, what I had become, and what I could become. That opened many other doors to life as well because I wasn’t afraid of being me anymore.

It’s one thing to believe in yourself, but there is definitely a greater feeling to know that others believe in you too. I would have to say the biggest catalyst was Will’s speech.

On the night after my 23rd birthday with all his drunkeness, Will looked at me and asked me what I wanted to do with my life. He asked me to define three goals , two in the gym and one for life. Excuse the language, but he then told me something that will always stick with me, “ Good. I see you in the gym every fucking day working hard. You lift with such passion. Keep that up. Take those goals and never fucking give up on them. Look at me, I’m broke as shit from student loans, but now I’m doing things that I love to do. It’s worth it.” Okay, that wasn’t a word for word quote, but pretty exact. I haven’t given them up yet.

4

“Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”

Dolly Parton

Crossing The First Threshold

I was mighty grateful to have my two jobs, but my goodness, they were killing me and I had no time to live a life. I began re-evaulating my life. Was what I was currently doing making me happy? Did they help me reach my goals?

• Qualify for the 2014 American Opens with a Clean & Jerk of 80kg and a Snatch at 65kg. Secondly, my little freelance design was kicking off and I wanted to see it grow.

No. The greatest reaper of my soul was working as a pharmacy techni-cian. I drove miles and miles to get to the stores with very little compen-sation. This job was against my very core value. I would watch day in and day out as people payed for medicine they didn’t need that was supposed to cure certain symptoms, but had way more significantly detrimental side effects. I didn’t want to be a helper of this. To be healthy, it begins with the food you eat and the way you treat your body. Not putting in more crap to supress the current problems. You got to get to the root.

So, I quit. Mom wasn’t very happy with it. In fact, she still tries to make me feel guilty to this very day. I know I look broke as shit right now, but I have never been more happy and free. However, she did help me pay for my USAW Level 1 certification without truly knowing the outcome of it all. Give her a break guys! I know she drives us nuts being on our case all the time, but she’s been there for us tirelessly. Say thank you and tell her you love her.

Once I passed my certification, Marcus let me shadow him as an intern coach. It’s been one of the most blessed opportunities I have had to give back to that gym. I also contacted Will and he wrote a program for me to begin training for the next 7-weeks.

5

“If we doubted our fears instead of doubting our dreams, imagine how much in life we’d accomplish.”

Joel Brown

Road of Trials

It wasn’t all sunshine and butterflies. It still isn’t. I don’t have any days off. Sleep isn’t an option. Functioning for 16+ hours a day is the only way. I go to school, coach, work,...etc. Fun and traveling are limited.

I’m still a broke joke. My card gets declined several times a month. Sometimes, several times in one day. I don’t get to eat as much. I don’t by anything new for myself. My student loans are racking up. The creditors are after me.

There are days where I beat myself up. I question my dreams and my abilities. Am I making the right decision? I should probably quit now, work to get money and try again later. The occasional relapse occurs where I just want to go do bad things, which shall remain unnamed. Relentlessly, I have remained hopeful. Why?

1. It’s going to be worth it.2. I won’t fucking give up.3. Being able to do the things that I love doesn’t feel like work.4. I can see the good that I’m doing and will be doing.5. I will be able to figure it all out.6. That’s all that really matters.

Yes, there’s a lot of freaking out involved. Just remember though, at the end of the day, nothing is permanent and it can be changed if you want it to. You’ll look back one day and laugh. It might be a crazy laugh, but hey, you’re smiling.

6

“Even when in the midst of disturbance, the still-ness of the mind can offer sanctuary.”

Steven Richards

SUPREME ORDEAL (CRISIS)

7-weeks of intense lifting. Waking up at 4am to go work out before school. Driving back and forth between several gyms to make sure I got in my second work out of the day. Getting my school work done. Re-membering that I actually had to go to work to get some money.

When it all came down to it, what tested my work ethic the most was putting it into action at my first weightlifting meet. Will wasn’t there to coach me, but we had prepared for this for several weeks. Surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous at all.

Each time I stepped on the platform to hit a lift, I felt at peace with my-self. It was for me, a pure state of flow. I was so focused and in tune with my body that neither the heavy weight or all the eyes from the spectators could break me. Thank goodness. I nailed every single one of my lifts and got third place in my weight class day.

You guys weren’t there, but guess who was? Mom and dad. They were re-ally happy and proud of me. I guess it was a bonus good kind of feeling. I also think it helped them understand me more. Why I was so obsessed and in love with the gym.

7

“One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.”

Sigmund Freud

ULTIMATE BOON

For me, this was the ultimate mind and body project. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone each and every day. I learned so much. The re-ward was in my achievements. I found that in a short 7-weeks I could increase my lifting total by 10-15 kg. Imagine what I would be able to do in a year? Crazy. It was more than just my numbers though. Working hard and staying dedicated to something helped me feel more whole as a person. I learned how to focus better, how to organize my time in a manner where I could get all my shit done, and how to look at myself in an objective manner. Most importantly, I loved every single minute of the process.

In the midst of it all, I was offered a coaching position at my gym. Pe-ter, the owner, recognized my hard work in the gym as a lifter as well as my ability to teach people . They’re also sponsoring my CrossFit Level 1 certification which is about $1000. Now, not only do I get to teach the thing that I love most, but I’ll be getting paid for it. Seriously though, when they approached me to offer me the job, I thought I was going to get kicked out for being there too much.

Now, I don’t expect either of you to go get obsessed with the gym. How-ever, it is a healthy addiction. I want you to realize that what goals you set for yourself, big or small, can easily be attainable. Talent can only take you so far. It is your hard work that will get you to where you want to be. Always know that. Always believe in it. Never give up!

8

“Put all your eggs in one basket and then watch that basket.”

Mark Twain

REFUSAL OF THE RETURNAND THE CROSSING OF THE RETURN THRESHOLD

Although a break is way overdue, I couldn’t see myself going back to working myself to death and not being happy with what I’m doing and who I am. The only thing I want to do is be better as a lifter and as a coach. Even though I’ve been doing it for quite some time, there is so much to learn. I feel the need to constantly read and watch videos to apply to my own techniques as well as to help other people get better. Weightlifting is an art form to me. I vowed to myself that as long as I’m teaching people to lift, it’s not going to look ugly. The platform is the canvas. Their bodies and the weights are our paint and brushes. We must make them move in an effortless motion.

I’ve also taken an extra step by contacting the Team USA’s Women’s Weightlifting coach Joe Micela and will be training with him next year. The great thing is, he lives in AZ. It’s going to be a great opportunity all around.

9

“If you have knowledge, let others light their can-dles in it.”

Margaret Fuller

MASTER OF TWO WORLDS

All this gym talk, but Dorothy, you’re a designer.

This section is supposed to be about how I come back to my ordinary world and give back to it. I believe I’ve touched on it quite a bit with coaching.

So I’ve reached this point in my life where I want to further the appli-cation of the things that I’ve been learning. As you both know, I’ve got my gym life and then, I’ve got my designer life. That right there is two worlds, wouldn’t you say? Let’s take this a step further. More than just what’s in my life and the community of people I work for, I want to know how I can take this knowledge and experience that I have to impact THE WORLD? I constantly ask myself this question. Life is more about just yourself and the place you live in.

I didn’t have to dig too deep to find the problem. I’ve read many articles and have witnessed it over and over, but our education system is, for a lack of a better word, FUCKED UP. Good health and physical education values no longer exist. Arts and creativity has been put to the side like an outcast.

As I dive deeper into these two worlds, I feel like it’s my mission to make sure that children and younger generations understand being healthy isn’t hard and creativity is not just about artsy fartsy nonsense, but it’s a form of solving problems. Ultimately, I’d like to create a foundation where I can hold workshops at schools for fitness activities and/or art and creative fun.

In essence, I am and will be a master of two worlds. I want to be able to give back in multiple ways.

10

CONCLUSION

Alright, no pressure. Seriously, I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life and so will you. The important thing is that you learn from them. Always continue learning. It will open doors for you. In return, make sure you open the door for someone else. Help people. As corrupt as the world can be, we are the change it needs.

Love always,

DorothyThe Coolest Big Sister EverYour Best FriendYour Slap In The Face When You Need It

P.S. I started a blog for you to follow. It’s more indepth about the things I’ve learned here and will be a continuation of the lessons I will learn. Check it out at http://www.dorothyphuynh.blogspot.com or http://dorothyphuynh.com.