Character Arc and Purpose
Certain characters from fictional stories have an impact on us because they are relatable. Hamlet in distant memory and Walter White in more recent memory come to mind. While the stories are memorable, it is the arc of these characters that influence our ideas about life opportunities to evolve to our potential. Consider your character arc as it relates to your story. With an understanding of this arc, you can similarly transform yourself.
A character arc is a transformative journey that a character follows based on the circumstances that enable and shape them Into becoming a different person. Privately, we all seek to become the hero of our story, triumphant and free as a result of successfully fulfilling a role that reveals us to be special. While everyone goes through challenging and tragic circumstances, seldom do people invest in themselves to realize their true nature.
Acts Occur In Stages
The typical drama is formulaic and based on 3 acts: 1) Some situation occurs outside of the control of the main character which causes them to recoil because they are unprepared. 2) The character attempts to handle the situation but fails in their attempt to change the situation to their favor and 3) The character has no other choice but to step up and finally becomes the person that overcomes a climactic challenge as their final test.
People find comfort in a relatable character journey that validates their hope or belief that the universe is also conspiring to make them successful. My intention is not to argue with you if you choose to believe this, but to focus instead on the aspect of the drama that is within your control, specifically, your potential to be successful.
A character in a fictional story is held captive by their circumstances and does not really have a choice in deciding their role. Without the willing participation of the character, the plot and story fall apart in a drama. In many ways, without a character arc to follow, people in real life feel the same way about their lives, and their sense of significance wanes. This is the real tragedy, unlike the fictional story that serves as a form of cathartic entertainment. In both cases, real or fictional, a character arc is a valid metaphor for how we must transform.
How to Transform
Some people play their parts in real life according to an impromptu script that is drafted and sketched out realtime in their minds and then acted out in a self-styled role to a make-believe drama. The problem with this approach to life, besides losing touch with reality, is that there is no arc to follow towards achieving the goal of becoming a character that can overcome real-life challenges. We need to be self-aware and apply purpose to our effort so that our story is relatable to others, our character is credible and the act that we play makes sense.
We can do the inner work to find our values, motivation, and courage to identify the ways to overcome the real challenges that life presents to us. The ability to view life as an opportunity rather than as a drama is the key to this shift. Deciding to face the obstacle to the next stage of development means being willing to step up. Stepping up in turn means to do things differently, including the recruitment of other people, acquiring a new skill, or adopting new ideas. Without this upgrade, your character hopes to succeed without making any change.
Does Change Happen to Us or Is it a Choice?
We take for granted that a character in a fictional story has the capacity to change. Otherwise, the movie, play, or scene does not entertain. In real life, we meet people every day that seem to lack this capacity. Why is this? For many people, their identity serves as an anchor by which they know how to act. The identity they have is based on the role they were given and who they have chosen to be. This identity can be based on their ethnicity, family, faith, vocation, or socioeconomic status, etc. More than logic, a person has to want to change to be free.
To see the opportunities and act upon them, it is important to establish a vision for the character we see ourselves play out. In going through this process of evaluation, we gain a realistic perspective on our situation, the real options or paths in front of us, and where we need to focus in terms of personal development if we are not fully prepared. An actor when assuming a role goes through a process of preparation as elaborated in the post on acting and self-care. Your arc of character takes this a step forward in defining the purpose for the role.
The Benefits From Stepping Up
Courage as a quality can be developed like any other strength with progressive training. Without this basic capacity, a person will not feel they can improve their situation or advance in life. The consequence of thinking that life cannot be improved is to lack the basic motivation to serve beyond a level of subsistence. If however, a person accepts a life challenge, summons the courage to try and persist in trying, they will develop the determination to overcome and eventually succeed. When extended outward as a mental outlook, this kind of person has the highest probability of achieving freedom, the aim of all people with the motivation to enjoy life.
Life events, tragedies, improbable opportunities and chance occurrences do happen. How we handle such situations reveals who we are in terms of our actual character, self-esteem and faith in our abilities. Our credibility and reputation is established according to our ways of handling these circumstances. We will likely carry the outcome of these situations forward into future opportunities. By progressively succeeding in our arc of development, we allow the doors to new opportunities to open in the minds of our network. Those who know us refer us according to their perception of how we handle challenging situations. Our reputation will follow us.