You Don't Need Saving: You Are Your Own Superhero
Posted on July 16, 2022 by Tony Watts, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
We don’t need to look to others to find the answers that already lie within us. We are all capable of making sound decisions and finding greatness.
Those that know me know that I’m an absolute geek when it comes to anything superheroes. No, I don’t take it to quite the extreme as some of the other enthusiasts out there. I don’t have a Spider-Man tattoo or wear superhero pajamas to bed at night (although I am rocking a Black Panther t-shirt as I write this) but nonetheless, I am a fan. I remember when I first got in to superheroes in the early nineties when I watched X-Men the animated series for the first time. For those of you who grew up around that time you know exactly what I’m talking about. I remember how intense and awesome the theme music was for that cartoon. It had me dancing around and pretending to exhibit my powers every time! You would see the team members being introduced one by one performing their super moves, going into action. Cyclops, Wolverine, Gambit, Storm, Rogue, Beast and Jubilee.
It used to come on Saturday mornings at 11am and I would make sure my alarm clock was set so I didn’t miss it. If that wasn’t enough, after school I had Spider-Man the animated series and though a little darker than the others but still an awesome cartoon, Batman the animated series to look forward to. Oh, and who can forget Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers? I can remember so many times when my brothers and sisters and I would act out superhero battle scenes. All I dreamt about when I was a kid was being a superhero.
I’m still in to it to this day. I have a closet full of graphic novels, I still have my collection of comic book cards I had when I was a kid, my collection of pop culture statues and just about every Marvel movie that was ever released on DVD. Okay, so enough about my fascination with the comic book world. Let me tell you why I enjoy it so much.
I think that everyone at some point in their lives wish they had some type of super power. The most common wish is the desire to fly but others include superhuman strength, invisibility or unbreakable skin. For me, this fantasy only adds to the intensity of what superheroes ultimately stand for. They fight for what they believe in. They save the world time and time again. They fight for equality and truth no matter the persecution or the opposition. The movies and comics are filled with life lessons and memorable quotes.
There’s one quote in particular that I love from the movie “Captain America: Civil War” from the character Sharon (Emily VanCamp), giving a speech about her aunt Peggy Carter, who carved out a career of espionage during World War II. At this point in the story, Steve Rogers (Captain America), is still undecided about the Sokovia Accords, which call for U.N oversight of all super powered beings. This advice from Peggy stemmed his decision to oppose the Accords. She said,
“Compromise where you can. And where you can’t, don’t. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right, even if the whole world is telling you to move. It is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye and say, no. You move.”
If you take the time to sit down and read or watch these stories, they can be truly inspiring. And though we don’t have super powers, I believe there are real life superheroes that put their lives on the line to help other people. Think of the doctors and nurses out there that are currently working excessive hours taking care of those who contracted the coronavirus, for example. Think of the countless lives in the military who risk their lives day in and day out to protect our country. There are people out there that sincerely want to contribute something to the world.
Now not all of us go around fighting bad guys (although some of us do literally take being a superhero to the extreme. Check out Phoenix Jones!), but believe it or not, having faith in ourselves, being true to ourselves and fighting for what we want to achieve in life is one way we can be a positive role model to others that feel they can’t achieve their dream.
Overcoming countless obstacles and opposition in life makes us stronger people. Giving a kind word and making otherwise miserable people laugh is awesome. Or even being a great parent and example to your kids are just a few examples that can make us real life superheroes. I believe that we are all capable of leaving a great contribution to this world in some way. We all have a purpose that goes well beyond just career that we can choose to actively search for and live out. We can be our own superhero.
We don’t need others to tell us what to do and how to feel. We don’t need to look to others to find the answers that already lie within us. We are all capable of making sound decisions and creating realistic and impactful goals for ourselves that many times helps others in some way. You were made by the Creator for greatness! This is why I started Red Cape Coaching. I wanted to motivate, inspire and help others to see their fullest potential as a life purpose and mindset coach. Don’t ever limit yourself or question your capabilities.
To not realize your full potential, to not recognize what you contribute to the world, to not recognize your abilities, is to be a huge disservice to others and most importantly, to yourself.
We may not don the elaborate costumes and ridiculous “super powers,” but some of the stories pertain to real life in some way. When the characters aren’t saving the world, they’re going through personal struggles, trying to find themselves while seeking acceptance and trying to make a difference in the world. They keep on fighting, just like us.
Don’t sell yourself short. Hold your head up and stand strong because you’re friggin’ awesome.
