What is Your Story?
Around the World in 80 Days: Phileas Fogg’s Hero’s Journey and the Power to Rewrite Your Life
By Peter de Kuster
Introduction: Your Story is Your Life
Every life is an adventure, but too often we let routine, fear, or others’ expectations keep us from stepping onto the platform and boarding the train to our destiny. In my work with The Hero’s Journey, I help people see their lives as stories—full of challenges, companions, setbacks, and the possibility of transformation. Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days is not just a classic adventure novel; it’s a parable about daring to risk, to change, and to discover what truly matters. Let’s journey with Phileas Fogg and see what his whirlwind trip can teach us about our own.
Old Stories: The Clockwork Man and the Comfort of Routine
Phileas Fogg is the embodiment of precision and predictability. His days are measured to the minute, his habits unchanging, his emotions seemingly locked away7. The world sees him as a model of British punctuality and reserve—a man who lives by the clock and never by the heart. Fogg’s life is a fortress of routine, and he is content within its walls.
But old stories can become prisons. Fogg’s obsession with order and control is a shield against the chaos of life, but it also keeps him isolated, mechanical, and emotionally distant2. The world outside—the world of adventure, risk, and connection—remains a foreign country to him. The first step in any journey is to recognize the stories we are living, and to ask whether they still serve us or simply keep us safe.
Reflective Questions: Exploring Your Old Stories
- What routines or habits define your life?
- Where have you chosen safety over adventure?
- How do you protect yourself from chaos or unpredictability?
- What stories about yourself do you repeat, and are they still true?
- What would it mean to step outside your comfort zone?
The Call to Adventure: The Wager and the World
Fogg’s call to adventure comes in the form of a wager at the Reform Club: can he travel around the world in 80 days or less?46 The bet is not just about money—it is a challenge to the very foundation of his identity. Fogg is compelled by logic and pride, but beneath the surface is a longing for something more—a test, a transformation, a chance to prove himself.
The call to adventure is rarely convenient. It arrives as a question, a challenge, or an opportunity that disrupts the status quo. For Fogg, it is the ticking of the clock and the lure of the unknown. For us, it might be a new job, a move, a relationship, or simply the whisper that life could be more.
Reflective Questions: Recognizing Your Call
- What challenge or opportunity is calling you to step beyond your routine?
- When have you felt the urge to “bet on yourself”?
- What is at stake if you accept the challenge—and if you refuse?
- Who or what dares you to risk, to grow, to change?
- What is your version of “the wager”?
Refusal of the Call: Doubt, Delay, and the Shadow of Failure
Even as Fogg sets out, doubt follows. The world is full of obstacles: missed connections, unpredictable weather, cultural misunderstandings, and the relentless pursuit of Detective Fix, who suspects Fogg of robbery45. Every setback is a temptation to give up, to turn back, to believe that the journey was a mistake.
Refusal is part of every hero’s journey. It is the voice that says, “It’s impossible,” or “You’re not ready,” or “What if you fail?” For Fogg, the world seems determined to prove him wrong. For us, the obstacles may be internal—fear, self-doubt, the weight of past failures—or external, like lack of support or unexpected crises.
But the journey only truly begins when we acknowledge these doubts and choose to go on anyway.
Reflective Questions: Facing Your Fears
- What doubts or fears have threatened to derail your journey?
- How do you respond to setbacks and unexpected obstacles?
- Who or what plays the role of “Detective Fix” in your life—suspicion, criticism, mistrust?
- When have you been tempted to give up, and what kept you going?
- What would it mean to persevere, even when the odds are against you?
Meeting the Mentor: Companions and Guides
Fogg is not alone on his journey. He is joined by Passepartout, his loyal but unpredictable valet, whose spontaneity and resourcefulness often save the day24. Passepartout is the Trickster, bringing humor, chaos, and unexpected wisdom. Along the way, they rescue Aouda, a woman in peril, who becomes both a companion and a catalyst for Fogg’s transformation4.
Mentors and allies come in many forms: friends, family, colleagues, even strangers. Sometimes, as with Passepartout, they challenge our rigidity and force us to adapt. Sometimes, as with Aouda, they awaken parts of ourselves we didn’t know existed. The journey is never meant to be walked alone.
Reflective Questions: Finding Your Mentors
- Who are the companions and mentors on your journey?
- How have others challenged or supported you in unexpected ways?
- What have you learned from those who are different from you?
- Who brings out your spontaneity, humor, or courage?
- How do your relationships change as you travel through life?
Crossing the Threshold: Into the Unknown
The moment Fogg boards the train, the ship, or the elephant, he leaves behind the safety of London and steps into the unpredictable world46. Each new country, each new challenge, is a threshold—a point of no return. The journey becomes a series of leaps into the unknown: braving jungles, storms, and even a Sioux attack in America35.
Crossing the threshold is exhilarating and terrifying. It is the moment when you realize there is no going back. The old rules no longer apply, and the only way forward is through adaptation, courage, and trust in yourself and your companions.
Reflective Questions: Committing to Change
- What was your “point of no return” in life?
- When have you taken a leap into the unknown?
- How did you cope with the loss of certainty?
- What new skills or attitudes did you discover in yourself?
- How did the world surprise or challenge you?
Trials and Allies: Obstacles, Growth, and the Power of Teamwork
Fogg’s journey is a gauntlet of trials: missed trains, shipwrecks, arrests, and narrow escapes45. Each trial reveals new strengths and weaknesses—not only in Fogg, but in his companions. Passepartout’s blunders often cause trouble, but his quick thinking also saves the group. Aouda’s courage and resourcefulness grow as she moves from rescued damsel to equal partner1.
The trials we face in life—whether professional setbacks, personal crises, or unexpected detours—are the crucibles in which character is forged. Allies become indispensable, and teamwork often makes the impossible possible. Through adversity, we learn who we are and what we value.
Reflective Questions: Growing Through Challenge
- What trials have tested your resolve and character?
- How have your allies helped you overcome obstacles?
- What have you learned about yourself through adversity?
- How do you balance independence with the need for teamwork?
- When have you discovered unexpected strengths in yourself or others?
Transformation: From Clockwork to Connection
By the end of his journey, Fogg is transformed. The man who began as a “mechanical, isolated individual” becomes more emotionally connected and self-aware21. His relationship with Aouda awakens compassion and love; his friendship with Passepartout teaches him flexibility and humility. Even Detective Fix, his relentless pursuer, becomes a symbol of the shadows Fogg must integrate and overcome2.
Transformation is rarely about the outer goal (the wager, the destination, the prize). It is about the inner journey: becoming more human, more open, more alive. Fogg discovers that what matters most is not winning the bet, but the love and friendship he has found along the way1.
Reflective Questions: Becoming the Author
- How have your adventures changed you?
- What parts of yourself have you discovered or reclaimed?
- How have love, friendship, or adversity made you more human?
- What old habits or beliefs have you left behind?
- What truly matters to you now?
The Return: Coming Home Changed
Fogg returns to London believing he has lost the wager and failed in his quest. Yet, in that moment of apparent defeat, he discovers his greatest victory: love, connection, and a new sense of self1. The journey has stripped away his rigidity and isolation, leaving him open to joy and meaning.
The return is not a return to the old life, but the beginning of a new chapter. The hero brings back wisdom, compassion, and a renewed sense of purpose. The world may look the same, but the traveler is forever changed.
Reflective Questions: Living Your New Story
- How do you integrate the lessons of your journey into daily life?
- What have you gained that is more valuable than any prize?
- How do you share your growth with others?
- What new story are you writing for yourself now?
- How will you continue to adventure, even at home?
Lessons for Our Own Stories
Around the World in 80 Days is more than a tale of trains and steamships—it is a story about daring to risk, to grow, and to love. Fogg’s journey is a reminder that the greatest adventures are not measured in miles, but in the courage to change and the willingness to connect.
You are the hero of your own journey. The world is wide, the clock is ticking, and the adventure is yours to claim.
The Power of Your Story: Steps to Transformation
Let’s break down the journey, as I do in my workshops, so you can apply it to your own life:
- Old Stories: What routines or beliefs have kept you safe—but small?
- The Call: What challenge or dream is calling you?
- Refusal: What fears or doubts threaten to hold you back?
- Mentors: Who are your companions and guides?
- Threshold: When did you take a leap into the unknown?
- Trials: What obstacles have tested you—and what have you learned?
- Transformation: How have you changed, inside and out?
- Return: How will you live your new story, and what will you share with the world?
Around the World in 80 Days as a Universal Tale
Jules Verne’s novel endures because it speaks to the timeless adventure of being alive: the longing for more, the courage to risk, the discovery of love and meaning. It is a celebration of curiosity, resilience, and the power of story.
Conclusion: Write Your New Story
As you close the pages of Around the World in 80 Days, ask yourself: What story am I living? Is it one I have chosen, or one that was chosen for me? The power to change your story is the greatest gift you possess. Use it well.
Let Phileas Fogg’s journey inspire you—not to race the clock, but to open your heart, embrace the unknown, and write the story only you can tell.
What is Your Story? 