Joseph Campbell on Finding Treasure in Struggle

Joseph Campbell, with his profound understanding of myth and the human story, once offered a striking thought: “It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.” This isn’t just poetic language; it is a quiet truth about how we grow, often not despite our difficulties but because of them. His insight reminds us that the places we resist most — moments of failure, heartbreak, or struggle — are often the very places where our deepest transformation is waiting to unfold. Campbell’s wisdom echoes through his life’s work with myth and storytelling, but it also speaks directly to our daily lives, where each stumble holds the potential to uncover hidden strength.

The Hero’s Journey and the Abyss

The Call to Descent

Campbell’s famous concept of the “Hero’s Journey” describes a universal pattern found in myths across cultures. At its heart is the idea that the hero must leave the familiar world, confront trials, and descend into a symbolic abyss before returning transformed. The abyss isn’t about literal caves or monsters; it represents the inner landscapes of fear, grief, and uncertainty that we all must face. Where you stumble, Campbell suggests, is the very threshold of growth. Instead of a place of defeat, the stumble becomes a doorway — an entry point into the deeper work of becoming who you are meant to be.

Modern Struggles, Ancient Truths

These patterns aren’t just found in myth; they mirror our own struggles. The collapse of a career, the breakdown of a relationship, the shock of illness — these moments often feel like freefall into an abyss. They rarely feel noble or adventurous in the moment. They feel like loss, like failure, like darkness. And yet, just as Campbell observed in ancient stories, it is in these descents that the human spirit can discover its most enduring treasures: resilience, clarity, empathy, and strength that cannot be learned on the easy path. As Confucius reminded us in his timeless wisdom, our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Navigating Our Own Abysses

When the Ground Gives Way

We all encounter our own versions of the abyss. Sometimes it comes as a sudden crisis — a job loss, a betrayal, a diagnosis. Other times it creeps in more quietly, through burnout, disillusionment, or the weight of carrying unseen burdens. These are the moments when the ground feels unsteady, when the life we thought we knew no longer seems certain. In Campbell’s framing, these stumbles are not the end of the path but the beginning of a new one. The abyss, however painful, has the potential to reset our direction toward what truly matters.

The Gifts Hidden in Darkness

What emerges in these seasons is rarely what we expect. The abyss often strips away the superficial — status, titles, illusions of control — and leaves us face to face with our authentic selves. It invites us to ask: What really matters? What do I want my life to stand for? And while the answers rarely come quickly, the slow work of sitting with uncertainty can yield profound treasures: compassion for others, patience with ourselves, gratitude for small joys, and a deeper trust in life’s unfolding. This mirrors what psychology calls post-traumatic growth — the way people often emerge from adversity with stronger relationships, new perspectives, and unexpected resilience.

Unearthing Hidden Treasures

Stumbles as Signposts

Campbell’s words remind us that stumbling is not failure but a signpost. It points us toward the very places that need our attention. A closed door may redirect us to a new opportunity. A disappointment may reveal what we truly value. Sometimes the treasure is not in fixing what was lost but in discovering what is waiting to be found. This perspective encourages us to soften our resistance to struggle and to approach life’s detours with curiosity rather than despair.

Embracing the Process of Becoming

To embrace the abyss is not to romanticize pain but to honor the process of becoming. Growth often means letting go of old identities, outdated dreams, or familiar comforts. It asks us to walk forward without certainty, guided only by hope and courage. In these quiet steps, transformation takes root. As Maya Angelou reflected, we may not control what happens to us, but we can decide not to be reduced by it. The act of continuing, even when the path is unclear, is itself the treasure Campbell spoke of.

Living the Wisdom Today

Practical Ways to Face the Abyss

So how do we live this wisdom in modern life? It begins with reframing our struggles. Instead of asking, “Why me?” we can ask, “What might this be teaching me?” This shift doesn’t eliminate pain, but it opens the possibility of growth within it. We can also practice small acts of courage daily: reaching out for support, allowing ourselves rest, or choosing to begin again after disappointment. These steps may seem small, but they are how treasures are unearthed — quietly, steadily, over time.

Carrying the Treasure Forward

The final step of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey is the return — bringing the treasure back to share with others. In our lives, this means letting our hard-won lessons shape how we love, work, and live. The compassion gained in heartbreak can make us gentler friends. The resilience forged in loss can make us anchors for others in their storms. The treasures of the abyss are never just for ourselves; they ripple outward, weaving our struggles into stories that inspire and strengthen others.

So when you stumble, when the path disappears and you feel lost in the dark, remember Campbell’s words: the treasure lies not away from your difficulty but within it. It is waiting quietly in the shadows for you to notice its light — a reminder that even in your lowest moments, you are walking toward transformation.