Synopsis of the movie

“Hercules" and analysis J. Campbell Monomyth and my life story

Mark Paul S. Paroli, OD

1. The hero is introduced in his ordinary world

MOVIE• On Mt Olympus, Zeus and his wife are

celebrating the birth of their son, Hercules. The Lord of the Underworld, Hades, is also invited, though is not at all pleased with the birth of Hercules.

• Back in the underworld the 3 fates predicted that when Hades releases the Titans during the alignment of the planets, there is a possibility that Hercules can stop him.

• So hades assigns his 2 minions to kidnap and kill Hercules using a potion. But while letting Hercules drink the potion, a childless couple disturbs the plan of the minions letting Hercules unable to drink every drop of the potion, but making him half mortal.

• He is then introduced as a normal human boy being raised by the childless couple.

My Life Story

• The “Ordinary world” for me would be before my college years in Manila. Before I was sent out to Manila to study optometry.

• Back in our house here in Pampanga, if I feel a little hungry, there would always be food prepared in our table. The maids would always clean up after every mess we make. If I needed money, I could just go to our nearest branch and call my Mom or Dad. Laundry was usually automatically done.

• Everything was far too easy.

2. The call to adventure

MOVIE• During his teenage years, he wasn’t

able to fit in with the normal people because of his abnormal strength, until it came to the point that he had to ask his poster parents the truth. His poster parents told him that they found him as a baby and was carrying a medallion with the symbol of the gods. That was the moment when he thought he will go to the temple of Zeus and ask him himself.

My Life Story

• After high school I really wanted to become a Dentist for some reasons. And besudes, two of my brothers are already in the Eye care field.

• However, because of an amazing twist of fate, I was convinced to take up Optometry in the best school of Optometry in the country.

3. The hero is encouraged by the wise old man

MOVIE• Hercules sets off for the Temple of

Zeus to find answers. Once inside the temple, the enormous statue of Zeus comes to life, first scaring Hercules, but then explaining how he is the young boy's father.

• Zeus then explains that if Hercules can become a True Hero, he'll be able to return to Mt Olympus and rejoin them.

My Life Story• I was convinced by my parents that

time to take up Optometry mainly because of our family business.

• I also realized back then that they are not getting any younger as years goes by and wanted us to continue their legacy.

• They couldn’t count on my two older brothers because they will enter a different path after both of them finish their residency.

• This is the part where I felt that I didn’t want to be the one who will be the cause of the downfall of our business relating to the popular belief of business experts that the 2nd generations are where a business usually fails.

4. The hero passes the first threshold

MOVIE• Zeus provides Hercules with a

winged horse named Pegasus, and sends them off to find Philoctetes to train him become a hero.

My Life Story• Fast forward Seven years after I was

convinced on my career path, I finished my studies in Optometry.

• Along with my achievement of graduating Doctor of Optometry, I was able to volunteer with Resources for the Blind, inc., I was able to be an apprentice of one of the founding members of the Australian association of Ocularist in making prosthetic eye.

• All of these, I feel, had prepared me to face the outside world, which I later proved to be wrong.

• Somewhere along the way, I formed some of my goals in life.• I want to improve the performance our

branches• I want to have my own businesses in the

future• I want to start my Anaplastology clinic,

hopefully the first located north of Manila.• I wanted to form my own NGO dedicated

to patients who are Low vision and Blind.

5. The hero encounters tests and helpers

MOVIE• Hercules and Pegasus find Philoctetes

(who is nicknamed 'Phil') on a deserted island. Having become a grouchy, old satyr, Phil is at first reluctant, but finally relents. After an intense period of training, Hercules grows from a scrawny teenager to a buff young man. At Hercules' insistence to try what he has learned, Phil, Hercules and Pegasus head for the city of Thebes, which is plagued by a number of disasters and problems.

• On the way to Thebes, they encounter Meg, who appears to be menaced by the centaurs but the truth is, Meg is trying to get the centaurs to side with Hades.

• It was also the time that Hades knew Hercules is still alive.

My Life Story

• After my college life, I was employed by my parents under the supervision of a branch manager. During those times, I was able to become closer to our staffs and be able to mingle freely with them, which will be very handful in days to come.

• Unlike the other staffs and optometrists, one of my goal while being employed was to increase the sales of a branch.

• I was able to increase the gross sales of the branch that time by 300% in six months, enough reasons for my parents to be confident on my managing skills.

6. The hero reaches the innermost cave

MOVIE• When he arrived in Thebes, nobody believed that he was a hero until

Hercules and Meg met again in the city. Meg reported 2 kids trapped in the mountains near the city.

• When Hercules got to the mountain, Hades sent a creature called the Hydra there. At first, it swallowed Hercules but Hercules was able to cut the neck of the Hydra from the inside, but every time the neck is cut, 3 more heads grow.

• It ended when Hercules was able to kill the Hydra using the boulders at the mountain. That was the beginning of Hercules’ fame as a hero. And the more monster Hades throw at him, the more famous he becomes.

• He went to the temple of Zeus again to talk to Zeus, but even if he was a famous hero, it wasn’t enough for him to join the gods in Olympus.

6. The hero reaches the innermost cave

MY life story

• As my their trust in me strengthen throughout the years, they finally decided to make me manage one of the branches in the malls. • During those times I didn’t have any formal training when

it comes to business management. I’m aware that I have the technical and interpersonal skills but lack the conceptual skills. I had to rely fully on instincts when it comes to customer intimacy, purchasing, and external marketing.

7. The Hero Endures the supreme Ordeal

MOVIE

• When Phil found out that Meg was connected to Hades, he was trying to convince Hercules to stay away from her, but Hercules accidentally backlashed resulting to phil abandoning him.

• Hades realized that the only weakness of Hercules is Meg and had a deal with Hercules, that he will give up his powers for 24 hours in exchange of not harming Meg. And the deal will be off when something bad happens to Meg.

• At the same moment of Hercules losing his powers, Hades releases the Titans to attack Olympus where Zeus was outnumbered. While also sending the Cyclops to attack Hercules in the city.

• He is able to kill the Cyclops but hurting Meg in the process which ends the deal and he gets back his powers.

• He goes to Olympus to help defeat the titans and save the gods.• Back in the city, Phil tells Hercules that Meg has passed away, and Hercules went to the

underworld to try and save Meg. He made a deal with Hades, if he is able to save Meg he will take her place in the river of death.

7. The Hero Endures the supreme Ordeal

My Life Story

• During the 2nd quarter of 2014, we found out that SM Clark is conducting a zoning operation and is forcing us to move to a new location where there is less traffic compared to our current location, or we they will just end our contract with them.• At first, we were depressed of the leasing managers’ decision

but during a family meeting, we decided to take the new location and start planning the renovation, with fear in our hearts.

8. The hero seizes the sword

MOVIE• After Hades accepted Hercules’ deal,

he was very confident that no mortal can survive the river. But when Hercules was about to die, he suddenly started glowing yellow, where he has achieved the god status by risking his life to save someone.

8. The hero seizes the sword

My Life Story

• During the process of planning, I was given the task of creating a strategy for the new location. How will it be known? What services will be added? Who will be our primary target consumer? How will we differ from the other Optical shops? How can we be called an Optical Clinic?

• At that time, I still haven’t had any formal management trainings, so I still had to rely on my instincts. But little did I know that I was already applying the 8 P’s of Marketing at that time.

• It was a well start for us. There were good days and there were bad days, but there were more good days than bad. But I still feel like we can still strengthen our company’s marketing, both internally and externally.

• This was also the time where we thought that we can start the dream of our mother of having an eye clinic. Because of the changes in the contracts, we were able to add additional services which the optometrists in the Optical shops weren’t trained to do, and we took advantage of our optometrists having the technical skills in the practice.

9. Resurrection

MOVIE• The Hero emerges out of the cave as

a god. Able to achieve it by saving someone while risking his life.

9. ResurrectionMy Life Story

• Those few years in real life experience were probably the most exciting yet terrifying moments in my life.

• I was able to learn a lot of things during those moments, mostly in managing a business. At first, I could feel that fear was all around me, but I knew that I wasn’t alone. I have my Parents, brothers and loyal staff’s to help me in “our” journey of achieving excellence in the business. I was so afraid of failing during those times and be responsible of the downfall of what my parents have brought up, but now, I know that my weakness are some of my workmate’s strengths, and that’s enough reason to make me confident.

• One of the best things I learned was how to interact with business partners. How important suppliers are and why helping each other out is very important for a healthy business.

• I learned that businesses have turbulence in them. There are times that it’s all peace and quiet, but there are times that everything’s from bad to worse. But you still have to plan ahead, anyway. You got to have the KEEP ON KEEPING ON mentelity.

10. Return with the Elixir

MOVIE• Hercules, Pegasus, Phil and Meg then

fly to Mt Olympus where the gods are waiting to welcome Hercules back, now that he has become a 'True Hero.' However, Hercules chooses to stay on Earth, with Meg, but still be able to visit his family.

My life Story

• I feel like being part of the family business makes it the “New Ordinary world” for me now. And that I need to get out of this comfort zone someday, same as what I did from the transition of being a student to being a Manager of our branches.

• I believe that the word “Magis” , is the key to escaping this new ordinary world of mine. All of us in the company needs the mentality of “desiring more”.

• I know that I’m still young, and there is still plenty of room for learning inside of me.

• There is Plenty of time for me to learn from failures as I can still afford them, and I still have the energy to start another adventure outside this “New Ordinary World”,

• using everything I learned from my past adventure, I believe I am ready to start the sequel of my story, with Excellence and Magis as the words that pushes me forward, and dedicating all the hard work for the greater glory of God.

• What I liked about the story is it encourages the audiences to dream big.

• Quoting from the song in the movie “I have often dreamed of a far off place where a heroes welcome will be waiting for me. Where the crowd will cheer as they see my face, and voice keeps saying this is where I’m meant to be. I’ll be there someday I can go the distance”

• I felt that the moment I have reached my goals is the moment I have “seized the sword” and comparing my life with the campbell monomyth, It’s a continuous cycle of an adventure after adventure and after adventure.

- Mark Paul S. Paroli, OD