Ask him the twelve questions

Show me one question at a time

1. 1Ordinary worldWhere were you, and who were you, before any of this began?
   Stuck?

   • Start with a place and a year.
   • What did you do on an ordinary Tuesday?
   • What did you take for granted?

   What this stage means

2. 2Call to adventureWhat happened that told you your life could not stay as it was?
   Stuck?

   • Was it a phone call, a letter, a look on someone’s face?
   • It can be good news.
   • What was the date? Guess if you must.

   What this stage means

3. 3Refusal of the callHow did you say no at first? What were you afraid of losing?
   Stuck?

   • What did you tell yourself?
   • Who agreed with you that it was not the time?
   • How long did the no last?

   What this stage means

4. 4Meeting with the mentorWho, or what book or teaching, gave you the nerve or the map?
   Stuck?

   • It may be someone who said one sentence.
   • It may be a book, or a man long dead.
   • What exactly did they give you: nerve, a map, or permission?

   What this stage means

5. 5Crossing the first thresholdWhat was the moment you could no longer go back?
   Stuck?

   • Look for something physical: a signature, a ticket, a door.
   • What could you not undo afterward?
   • Who was there?

   What this stage means

6. 6Tests, allies, and enemiesWho stood with you, who stood against you, and what did the early trials teach you?
   Stuck?

   • Name one person on each side.
   • What did you get wrong first?
   • Who surprised you?

   What this stage means

7. 7The inmost caveWhat was the thing you least wanted to face, and how did you approach it?
   Stuck?

   • What had you been walking around?
   • How many times did you come close and turn back?
   • What had you told no one?

   What this stage means

8. 8The ordealWhat was the worst of it? What died there: a plan, a belief, a version of you?
   Stuck?

   • Where were you standing?
   • Finish this sentence: the man who … did not come out of that room.
   • If it is too soon to write this one, leave it empty.

   What this stage means

9. 9RewardWhat did you come out holding that you did not have before?
   Stuck?

   • It is rarely money.
   • What can you do now that you could not do before?
   • What do you know about yourself that you did not?

   What this stage means

10. 10The road backWhat did it cost to turn toward home, and what followed you?
    Stuck?

    • Who wanted the old you back?
    • What did going home cost?
    • What came after you?

    What this stage means

11. 11The resurrectionWhat final test proved you were a changed man and not the old one in new clothes?
    Stuck?

    • Look for the old test, offered again.
    • Who was watching?
    • What did you do differently this time?

    What this stage means

12. 12Return with the elixirWhat do you bring back that is of use to someone else? Who is it for?
    Stuck?

    • Name the person it is for.
    • It can be small: a habit, a sentence, a phone number.
    • If you cannot answer yet, you may not be home yet.

    What this stage means

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