My Personal Odyssey
I went to see The Odyssey on opening night, and I must admit, the Greek in me was excited. For anyone who forgot, The Odyssey, is an ancient Greek epic poem attributed to Homer. It details the ten-year struggle of the hero Odysseus attempting to return home to the island of Ithaca following the Trojan War. I’ve always loved mythology and mysticism because they point to something deeper within us. Stories like these have endured for thousands of years because they speak to the human condition. They remind us that life is more than simply accomplishing goals—it is about the journey that shapes us. The word odyssey means a long, wandering, and eventful journey.
Interestingly, before the movie was even released, I had been reflecting on the difference between living to achieve goals and choosing to walk a path. As a coach, I’ve found that most people are focused on reaching the finish line. They want the shortcuts, the life hacks, and the quick fixes that promise to eliminate obstacles and make the journey easier. But real transformation doesn’t happen that way. My work isn’t about offering easy answers—it’s about walking alongside people as they do the deeper work of becoming. That’s why only a few choose to stay the course. Goals certainly have their place, but they are moments in time. A path, on the other hand, is about who you become with every step you take, especially when the destination in the moment feels far away.
Growing up in Catholic school, reading Homer’s The Odyssey was required. Back then, I appreciated it as literature. Watching it now, I experienced it differently. Age, experience, and a few scars have a way of changing what I see now.
At its heart, The Odyssey is not simply the story of a man trying to get home. It is the story of a man being transformed on the way home.
Odysseus faces storms, temptations, loss, impossible choices, and the consequences of his own decisions. He carries regrets. He wrestles with his identity as a husband, father, king, and leader. Through every trial, we see a man forced to confront not only the monsters around him but also the battles within himself.
That resonated deeply with me.
How often do we spend our lives chasing the next accomplishment, believing that happiness will finally arrive when we reach our destination? Yet life continually reminds me that the greatest work God does is NOT at the finish line—it’s in the middle of my journey.
I was especially moved by the way the film portrayed Odysseus as a leader. He wasn’t perfect. He made mistakes that affected the men entrusted to him. Yet throughout the story, you could see the weight he carried. He genuinely wanted to lead well. He fought for his people, wrestled with impossible decisions, and learned through both success and failure.
Isn’t that true for all of us?
Whether you’re leading a family, a business, a classroom, or simply trying to steward and lead your own life, leadership isn’t about becoming perfect. It’s about continuing to grow, learning from our failures, and allowing hardship to shape our character rather than allowing fear to harden our hearts.
The older I get, the more I believe life is less about arriving somewhere and more about discovering parts of yourself you did not know where there.
Every disappointment teaches me perseverance--keep moving forward one step at a time.
Every detour teaches me to trust on a new level.
Every storm reveals what I truly believe deep down about myself, God, and others.
Every regret becomes an invitation to grow if we’re willing to face it honestly. I have faced a lot of regret in this life so far...I know freedom from regret comes when I face it head on.
Spiritually, I see that God also rarely reveals the entire map. Instead, He invites us to walk with Him one step at a time. Faith has always been more about following a path than arriving with a checked off checklist.
Perhaps that’s why stories like The Odyssey continue to resonate across generations.
Deep down, we all know we’re on a journey home—not just to a place, but to the people we were created to become.
Maybe the question isn’t, “what am I doing with my life? Have I reached my goals yet?”
Maybe the better question is, “Who am I becoming as I walk this path?” “Who and what am I encountering that is making me face things and change?”
Because in the end, our greatest achievement won’t be simply arriving at our destination. It will be allowing every twist in the road, every trial, every victory, every loss, and every relationship we encounter to shape and transform our hearts along the way.
Home is more than a place we return to—it’s the person we are becoming. And in the end, there truly is no place like home.