Ranjay Gulati

And, you know, in a very deadly poison, they evacuate him, evacuate him to Germany.

And miraculously, they're able to save him.

This was considered very unlikely, but he does.

But really what is most interesting and actually in the end tragic is he returns back to Russia.

knowing fully well that when he lands, they are likely to arrest him, and he may not make it out alive after this.

But he chooses to do that.

Well, he's arrested right at the airport, then transported to Siberia, put into one of the worst prisons over there, is in solitary for long periods of time, and ultimately he passes away over there.

He's periodically allowed to meet people.

And so there are recordings of him while he's there.

Even shortly before his death, he writes, he talks, and he's still making his point.

He still wants to get the point out there that, listen, giving up is not an option.

And it somehow fits into what we call the hero's journey.

The hero leaves safety to serve a higher truth.

And in this case, the hero's journey doesn't have to lead to a happy ending, but it does promise a meaningful ending.

And in this case, you see, it's not like a victory for him, he succeeds, but it's kind of a moral ending.

He has made a choice that he is going to live his life in alignment with his beliefs and principles.

And it is something that he will do even if it costs him his life.

What I like about Hero's Journey and the whole idea there is that because it kind of normalizes fear and struggle.

It tells us that doubt doesn't disqualify us.

And transformation is possible.