The Misogi Challenge and the Military: Why a Hero's Journey to Graduation Matters

Misogi refers to a challenging and unique Japanese tradition that involves the practice of purification. In its traditional sense, misogi requires immersing oneself in cold water or standing under a waterfall to purify the mind and body. In modern times, misogi has taken on a broader meaning. It is a challenge that pushes you to your limits and forces you to confront your fears, doubts, and weaknesses.

At its core, misogi is about transformation. It is about relinquishing old habits and limiting beliefs and embracing a new, more powerful version of yourself. Through pushing their physical, mental, and spiritual limits, participants discover a reservoir of strength and resilience that they never knew existed. By gaining newfound confidence and courage, misogi offers an opportunity to be better equipped to handle the many difficulties and obstacles that life throws you. 

Misogi and the Military

Veterans are not unfamiliar with the challenges of pushing themselves to limits and confronting fears, doubts, and weaknesses. After years of training and real-time battlefield exposure, persevering through adversity is a hallmark of the experiences and character of a servicemember. 

There can be immense loss when considering life after military service. Loss of identity. Loss of day-to-day routines. Loss of community and esprit de corps. Loss of a sense of meaning and purpose. To combat these many losses, veterans are taking steps toward success and immersing themselves in another new chapter by embracing the hero's journey to higher education. 

Confronting Fears and Doubts

Beginning or restarting a degree program can evoke doubts and fears. What will it take? Am I prepared? Do I know what I want to do? What is the financial and personal cost? How can my military training and tactical skills translate into the classroom? Will this all be worth it in the end? These are all valid concerns, but also these questions can lead to limiting beliefs. 

Military students at Golden Gate University enjoy special services to ensure they are understood, supported, and guided in a way that aligns with their professional goals and financial resources. From virtual and physical community events, academic transition "smart start" coaching, and student veteran ambassadors to in-depth consulting with a success manager, GGU's Diller Center is your guide at every step. 

A Reservoir of Strength and Resilience

The journey to the completion of a degree or certification program is one not unlike a misogi challenge. Term after term, course after completed course, students will find fulfillment and purpose in pushing past their limits. As they move through the steps and stages of their unique program of study and begin to experience achievement and momentum toward their next phase of life, a new sense of strength and resilience emerges. 

In referencing the modern misogi experience, author Michael Easter of The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self writes, "Doing hard things is an enormous life hack. Do hard things, the rest of life gets easier, and you appreciate it all the more."  The road to begin and continue a new path requires steps toward courage and confidence. Graduation represents the culmination of a journey and the attainment of a goal. From one misogi to the next, discomfort begets growth.