Not everyone is meant to make a difference.
But for me, the choice to lead an ordinary life is no longer an option.
~Peter Parker a.
k.
a.
Spiderman I've been wondering about super heroes again...
and my fascination with them.
When I was a teenager, surrounded by angst and uncertainty, there was always a place that I could go to feel good about myself, and be convinced that good will always prevail over evil:It was to the imaginary world of superheroes and villains.
I loved nothing better than curling up with a good comic book and escaping into a world where good always reigned supreme over the forces of evil and where the bad guy was always vanquished to never again cause trouble nor turmoil in society.
Superheroes like Superman, Batman, The Incredible Hulk, Wolverine, Wonder woman and who can forget, yes, even Tarzan served to spirit me away into imaginary worlds where anything was possible if a person could use the gifts that they were given for the greater good of mankind.
I wondered what made them "super" other than their obvious superpowers, and I am discovering that all of them had certain qualities outside of their own unique powers that made them unique:
There are many who have those same qualities who amongst us today.
But they are a rare breed.
If it was easy, everyone would be one.
It takes courage to stand up for what is right in the face of possible peril! Some of my favourites are "Marathon Man: Terry Fox", or "Equality Man: Martin Luther King" and "Compassionate Woman: Mother Theresa".
But there is something here that is important to mention: To be a superhero, you don't need to change the world, although some do, just doing your own little part is a good place to start.
For example, the Reader's Digest Hero of the year for 2007 is Kevin Bardsley, also known as "The Dad".
In Reader's Digest it says about him "His heroism began by accident, when his 12-year-old son, Garrett, went missing during a Boy Scout camping trip in Utah's Uinta Mountains.
Garrett's body was never found.
Determined not to let another family experience such terrible pain, Kevin Bardsley set up a foundation in his son's name, bought GPS tracking equipment and trained a small army of volunteers to be ready to search in minutes.
When another boy was lost, he led the rescue effort.
" That's what I am talking about: Becoming stronger through weakness.
You can be a hero too if you choose to be.
You can be one to your kids by simply spending time with them by encouraging them and teaching them what's right, to your spouse or partner by standing up for a cause or supporting them in a struggle, with your organization by encouraging and cheering your fellow workers, to your customers by listening to them and helping them have a wow experience or even to your neighbours by getting to know them and helping them when a driveway needs shovelling or a lawn needs mowing.
With a superhero, it's not about the reward, it's about the deed.
It's not about the taking, it's about the giving.
It's not about how you look (although my daughter Lauren says the tights are fun); it's about how you make others look.
Real heroes don't lead normal, ordinary lives.
They don't have time for that.
To them, ordinary is boring.
Real heroes are so busy helping others to be successful that they don't have time for the petty and small people whose only purpose seems to be to draw attention to the negative.
Remember, you don't have to escape from this world into a comic book to experience heroes, they are all around us.
You just have to look a little harder.
If you can't find one, why not be one to someone.
This week, be a hero to someone.
Make someone's day and then fly off before they get a chance to even see who you are, and when you do, you will not only be a hero to someone, you will have hit on one of the secrets to true happiness.
Make this your best week ever.
Paul
But for me, the choice to lead an ordinary life is no longer an option.
~Peter Parker a.
k.
a.
Spiderman I've been wondering about super heroes again...
and my fascination with them.
When I was a teenager, surrounded by angst and uncertainty, there was always a place that I could go to feel good about myself, and be convinced that good will always prevail over evil:It was to the imaginary world of superheroes and villains.
I loved nothing better than curling up with a good comic book and escaping into a world where good always reigned supreme over the forces of evil and where the bad guy was always vanquished to never again cause trouble nor turmoil in society.
Superheroes like Superman, Batman, The Incredible Hulk, Wolverine, Wonder woman and who can forget, yes, even Tarzan served to spirit me away into imaginary worlds where anything was possible if a person could use the gifts that they were given for the greater good of mankind.
I wondered what made them "super" other than their obvious superpowers, and I am discovering that all of them had certain qualities outside of their own unique powers that made them unique:
- They choose to serve other people vs.
being self serving - They choose to do good vs.
evil - They choose right vs.
wrong - They become stronger through their weakness
- They are confident in their capabilities and their self images
- When action is needed, they do it with confidence and authority
- They choose to do good anonymously over broadcasting who they are and what they can do.
There are many who have those same qualities who amongst us today.
But they are a rare breed.
If it was easy, everyone would be one.
It takes courage to stand up for what is right in the face of possible peril! Some of my favourites are "Marathon Man: Terry Fox", or "Equality Man: Martin Luther King" and "Compassionate Woman: Mother Theresa".
But there is something here that is important to mention: To be a superhero, you don't need to change the world, although some do, just doing your own little part is a good place to start.
For example, the Reader's Digest Hero of the year for 2007 is Kevin Bardsley, also known as "The Dad".
In Reader's Digest it says about him "His heroism began by accident, when his 12-year-old son, Garrett, went missing during a Boy Scout camping trip in Utah's Uinta Mountains.
Garrett's body was never found.
Determined not to let another family experience such terrible pain, Kevin Bardsley set up a foundation in his son's name, bought GPS tracking equipment and trained a small army of volunteers to be ready to search in minutes.
When another boy was lost, he led the rescue effort.
" That's what I am talking about: Becoming stronger through weakness.
You can be a hero too if you choose to be.
You can be one to your kids by simply spending time with them by encouraging them and teaching them what's right, to your spouse or partner by standing up for a cause or supporting them in a struggle, with your organization by encouraging and cheering your fellow workers, to your customers by listening to them and helping them have a wow experience or even to your neighbours by getting to know them and helping them when a driveway needs shovelling or a lawn needs mowing.
With a superhero, it's not about the reward, it's about the deed.
It's not about the taking, it's about the giving.
It's not about how you look (although my daughter Lauren says the tights are fun); it's about how you make others look.
Real heroes don't lead normal, ordinary lives.
They don't have time for that.
To them, ordinary is boring.
Real heroes are so busy helping others to be successful that they don't have time for the petty and small people whose only purpose seems to be to draw attention to the negative.
Remember, you don't have to escape from this world into a comic book to experience heroes, they are all around us.
You just have to look a little harder.
If you can't find one, why not be one to someone.
This week, be a hero to someone.
Make someone's day and then fly off before they get a chance to even see who you are, and when you do, you will not only be a hero to someone, you will have hit on one of the secrets to true happiness.
Make this your best week ever.
Paul