Superman, Spiderman,
Green Lantern, The Hulk; comic book superheroes that littered the
landscape of my childhood like fallen leaves on an autumn morning.
Comics were infrequently available growing up but when I could get my
hands on them I would devour them with a speed that almost elevated
me to superhero status (SuperZach: secret power-lightening speed
reading, not likely to ever be a popular superpower). More recently
there has been a noticeable increase in the rise of superhero movies.
Old franchises have been revisited and a few more dragged off the
comic book pages into three dimensional flesh and blood enactments.
Not only that, they have been a staggering success. Three of the top
ten, top grossing international movies last year were comic book
crossovers (IronMan 3, Thor 2 and Man of Steel) and both Captain
America's and The Amazing Spiderman's second offerings are well
entrenched in this years top lists.
Why have they been so
popular? One reason is that deep down we all want to be a hero.
Superheroes resonate with the little bit of our souls that goes 'if
only I could (insert appropriate superpower here)'. Many superhero
back stories have a painful past; it makes us like them more and
helps identify with them. Noone cares that Spiderman does not earn
much, he has spidey-powers dude! We all would love that extra touch
that would make the struggle for cash seem irrelevant. I watched the
second Amazing Spiderman this weekend and left thinking I should
order a Spiderman costume just for kicks.
There is one superhero
for me that stands out among the rest though. Sure I like Spiderman,
I think Captain America is a pretty solid character, but Batman just
rocks it as far as masked vigilantes go. You see, the deal with
Batman is this, he has no superpowers. Nothing. No extra speed, no
regeneration abilities, nothing. All he has is a brain, some hard
earned training, some cool toys and a desire to make the world a
better place (he also has a butler called Albert which has to count
for something).Likewise he had no quick fixes to get his powers like
so many others. There are no radioactive spiders and no booster
serums. Batman is simply put 'an ordinary human' who has to work
hard to get where he needs to be. And if he can be a superhero, well
so can I. I may not run around in tights and spandex beating up the
bad guys but I can make a difference in the life of my clients. I can
have the discipline and commitment to self improvement and training
that he has. I can create tools and inventions that can radically
alter the interaction of people with one another and the environment.
I can be a positive force of energy to those around me. And so can
you.
Here are some tips to
help activate your inner superhero:-
Identify your
superpowers, the strengths that you have. These are the skills you
bring to the table, the abilities that when the chips are down people
call of you to activate. From problem solving to fund raising, from
the ability to calm a situation down to clinching a deal, there is no
end to the possibilities that are out there. You have one or more.
Be diligent on honing
your skills. Develop them, train them, seek mentors in them, learn
from others. Read books, take classes, practice your craft. One
mentor I have deliberately takes two courses a year; one to better
himself (in that is included family, marriage, personal finance etc)
and one to better the organisation he leads.
Think ahead. I love
movies that have a surprise ending, when you think that the bad guys
have won and the protagonist still has a secret card up their sleeve
that they set in action well before the action started. Forethought
gets you places. Develop thinking ahead. If all you can do at the
moment is think ahead one day at a time it is a good place to start,
then stretch it to two, a week, a month and so on.
Once in a while you are
going to get beat down. You need some resilience. Some of that comes
from the discipline of training, and of training out of a comfortable
zone. Some of it is going to come directly from the school of hard
knocks, you are going to have to get back up from a hit. If you
purpose in your mind to get up before the hit even comes your are
more likely to be able to recover.
Be ready to take
opportunities. Being the same as everyone else is going to keep you
ordinary. Seeing a gap in the market or a unique way of solving a
challenge is going to elevate you beyond the normal.
Finally keep your moral
compass straight. The only difference between a hero and a villain is
the intent of their heart. Just like the movies, in the long run
villains fall and no one mourns their demise.Oh and if you can afford
it, get yourself an Albert like Batman, they help keep you sane.
