Joseph Campbell (1949) did more than outline the stages of the hero's journey; he proposed that all human beings are on such a journey. We show how the hero's path mirrors stages of human lifespan development. This parallel suggests that human beings' life purpose is to live the life of a hero, including (1) embarking on a journey; (2) growing from adversity; (3) assembling a team of allies; and (4) giving back to society.