My Hero’s Journey

I have traveled the world, been to Formula 1 paddocks, VIP lounges of Champions League, craziest parties but the real adventure started when I embarked on the journey of exploring the inner realms of myself. Bringing me to places I would never imagine going to, learning and discovering skills I had no idea I could posses. Making the deepest human connections. Finding inner peace no money can buy. 

At first, the Hero’s Journey, as described by Joseph Campbell, seems like a purely logical concept—but its precision is almost scary. As my own journey unfolded, I could only appreciate this navigational framework in hindsight. Below is a glimpse of my own experience of the path each of us go through in order to return to our families, friends, and society and enrich it with our learnings, realisations, experiences and sense of purpose. The goal isn’t necessarily to become a hero, but to emerge as a role model for others—a generative man.

An adventurous gentlemen who thinks with his heart

I am a product of my two grandads, one a “rather wild” sailor, and the other “a man who was gardening in his tie, spoke several languages and worked in international trade”, both of them traveling the world for living.  Brought up playing ice hockey at the highest competitive level till age of 19, this was my army experience. Building discipline but also shield of arrogance as the way to protect myself from the other boys, as I came from a smaller village and found my source of confidence in being smarter than them.

Using the ambition and arrogance, I joined the corporate life early on. For over 2 decades I was riding the wave of success in marketing executive roles around the globe. Always deployed in order to, as sort of a midwife, transform brands and teams. Often seen as a maverick, acting on my feelings rather then rules.

Call to Adventure

But slowly I started to see red flags appear. None of my relationships would last longer than 2 or 3 years, I kept wasting tons of my time on most hard-to-get romantic partners, only to escape when it would require true commitment. At work I started to feel a disconnect, I was great when I had a supportive boss but I became detached when I was not getting the right support, avoiding conflict and behaving like a hurt genius. 

I started to feel this emptiness on the inside, trying to compensate it with more ecstatic experiences, more pleasure, traveling, and parties but everywhere I went, there I was with my unbearable lightness of being. Treating the life like a big game, wanting to have fun, but not the responsibility, like a little boy. Realising something of a real substance is missing in my life.

Refusal of the Call

First attempt to pursue my calling happened during my final year of deployment at Global Heineken in Amsterdam. I had this urge to do something for men, I felt - magnified by the feminism initiatives everywhere - that men need to regain respect, great manners, dignity and honour) and I started putting together a clothing brand with working title Gentlemen Knights. The idea was to bring back some of the style from the good old days, a nice jacket instead of a hoodie, a well fitting shirt instead of a t-shirt. Use the style to inspire more cultivated behaviour. 

A Gentlemen Knight would be the man who puts more into the world than he takes out, he embodies the best of manliness (strength, honor, character) with positive traits traditionally reserved for females (cares for others, communicates well, uses his creativity), taking charge of his destiny, he has a clear sense of mission, a man who has courage to follow his heart.

In a nutshell, while saying I wanted to help MEN, I was urgently trying to find a way how to help MYSELF.

Crossing the Threshold

Visual for the story of a young man finding courage to follow his heart.

I did not follow through with it however, and chose the easier way out through new assignment: Marketing Director Heineken Malaysia, calling it upfront my last adventure. Making this a self-fulfilling prophecy, it was a disaster work wise, knowing this was not my place anymore, I spent more and more times with the artists, focusing on my photography skills, I even created an ad for Tiger “Uncage New Beginnings” which tells a story of a young man to have the courage to follow his heart. 

At some point I imagined me leaving in a symbolic theatric way, of lining up people from Heineken in one line and the artists in the other, and me taking off the clothes of corporate, and moving towards the artists. I never did that which I regret.

Belly of the Whale

Finally we agreed for me to leave. And I crashed. Leaving everything that constituted who I was, my work and what came with it, the respect, the money, houses, cars, invitations, I felt like nobody and had no idea who I was. Having too much time to sit with my darkness, gaining a lifetime ticket to what Jung called the cave of shadows. 

But I wrote down very clearly: that I came back because I wanted to change my life. Grow up. Stop running away and face the demons I created. Becoming a caring partner, and loving dad. Building something that makes sense to me.

The road of Trials

What followed proved to be the biggest adventure of my life. Exactly as in the Hero’s Journey, a divine feminine energy appeared and introduced me to the spiritual word. 

Suffice to say I wasn’t feeling too good among the batik-shirt “hippies and weirdos”. I did not understand nor believe. But my curiosity drove me to one event with walking over fire. And there the break-through happened, I felt clarity, I was present, I felt I actually belong, I had a clear role and felt for the longest time ever as a real man, and I allowed myself to remove all the masks and just be myself.

From then it spiralled. During Covid, escaping to Costa Rica, I felt so nourished by the nature that I decided to invest into a little land there. At that point a hill for grazing cows, it used to be a place where the farmers kids used to play. And as I was walking among the banana trees and mammoth grass, I felt that child-like joy, freedom and boost of fresh energy pouring into my veins. When you get on top of the property, overseeing the valley that stretches out to the sea, you feel as if all your problems fall off your shoulders, you breathe easier, and feel something new and good can come.

Atonement with Father

I met a shaman there who did a week long initiation ritual for me. Essentially showing me what I will be doing for other men later. Starting with inner reflection, emotional mastery, leaving behind what no longer serves me, creating space for the new me, leading to a vision quest to see what wants to happen through me, and creating a plan on how to bring it to life. 

This had had a profound impact on me, one that I immediately wished more men could experience. I left with what now men leaving my programs mention: tremendous weight lifted off my shoulders, a profound peace of mind money cannot buy, with the you-are-not-good-enough song being gone, finally accepting who I am, relaxing into it, having clear idea what I want and do not want in my life, being able to feel very well what gives and takes my energy, and having the guts to make some tough decisions in my life.

Tony Azuaje, Shaman from Venezuela.

The Ultimate Boon

I accepted the invitation to embark on the Red Path of the Heart. Learning from the elders, being initiated in Q’uero rites, plant medicine and energy work, I became a Heart Warrior. 

Its appeal to me was twofold. Shaman’s practice is pragmatic, being responsible for the well being of the tribe in day to day. Coming from the “materialistic” world, I still wanted to be able to translate the spiritual insights into daily strategies and practices. 

Secondly at this point of life, you realise there is something bigger than you that you want to be part of. Being raised in Communist-run Czechoslovakia, our trust in church was absolute zero, corrupted and for “losers”, we were brought up to believe in ourselves. For shamans, the divine is seen within nature, pacha mama, the four animal archetypes representing the four energies of the world, sacredness of mountains where wisdom and spirits live, medicine gifted by mother earth and the big spirit as a creator. I found this to be a more accessible entry ticket to spirituality compared to “our” religion.

Refusal of Return

In a story I heard they had asked the enlightened monk: master, what were you doing before you before you were enlightened? Working on my garden watering plants, he replied. And what are you doing now? Working on my garden watering plants.

Staying in nature, being fully present, not needing to wear any masks felt very good. Expanding my know how, gathering wisdom from elders and attending different initiation rites and men retreats around the world can be a lifetime endeavour itself. And for some indeed, spirituality becomes an escape without the ability to manifest any of the insights into every day lives. 

Men Retreat dedicated to Magician (Wise Man) Archetype, a moment of quiet contemplation after the final initiation ritual.

Magical Flight

The very first time I brought light myself into a retreat was during a men’s weekend dedicated to a King archetype which somehow had a very dark atmosphere and low energy. I felt the urge so I stepped in and offered one of my affirmations that helped me so much on my own journey of grounding myself and finding a vision. The room’s energy has shifted, the atmosphere and mood changed instantly. 

From then on I started to lead men retreats based on men archetypes. An annual journey of the four key archetypes: Lover, Warrior, Wise Man and finally the King. A truly transformative journey both for myself and for the hundreds of men who participated over the years. 

Master of the Two worlds

After leaving Heineken, I set up a marketing consultancy during which I witnessed now with my new eyes the crisis of leadership in the corporate world. I saw the same patterns of behaviours, the same coping mechanisms, the same challenges as with the men who attended my men retreats. 

That is why my current mission became making spirituality and the inner transformative journey more accessible for people like me, coming from the corporate background. Making it more pragmatic. Taking the best of what worked for me and other men for the last few years, translating powerful spiritual insights into everyday, practical tactics that help them live better and more meaningful lives.

Why do I tell the story?

First of all to show that you can change. Sometimes I tell my team that we are here to help upgrade men into what they did not know was possible. I stand here not as a perfect man, but as proof that change is possible. A man who is more sure of himself, whose self-belief reflects in the aura of inner peace, who does not overreact emotionally, less dependent on what others think because he knows who he really is.

I invite you to find the courage to do what you feel is right, to embark on the adventure even if you though you’d made a mistake, you screwed it up, or waited too long. The biggest tragedy is if you do not get the chance to bring what you are supposed to. And the world loses you.

Men’s retreat dedicated to King archetype.

Bon voyage

Jiri