When I was a little girl I was absolutely OBSESSED with a superhero. My obsession began early on. Literally, from the moment I could talk, it was all about my superhero — I’m told their name was my first word.
My hero wasn’t Batman, Spiderman or any of the Avengers. It wasn’t even Wonder Woman although if you ask me, that‘s a pretty accurate description’. No, this was a real-life superhero. This was my gorgeous aunt.
My aunt was a strong, powerful woman. She was a visionary, a creative and a leader not just in the business sense but in the real sense of the word. Just like a magnet, wherever she went, she attracted bucket loads of followers. Her superhero power was her ability to win people over with kindness and empathy whilst being the hardest working person I’ve ever known.
While I idolized my own superhero, I’m far from the only one with an obsession. Superhero comics have become the new “must watch” movies. The genre is currently bigger than any and the recent success of movies such as Black Panther, The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy have ensured that this is no passing fad.
The return of the superhero is of little surprise. With so much evil in the world, we’re all looking for the one that’s going to stand up and save us. Someone who inspires and brings out the best in us. We love our superhero’s as much on sporting fields and in pop culture as we do at the movies and in comics. We give them superhero nick names like the Missile, the King and even God!
With all of these big names and big personalities taking center stage, it’s important to also remember that superheroes don’t just wear capes, they’re not all great at sport and they’re not just the lucky “right place at the right time with all the right ingredients” CEO’s of tech unicorns.
It’s time we start acknowledging the everyday superhero’s all around us and better yet, unleashing the superhero in all of us. Embrace all that you have to offer and share it your talents with the world.
In 2015, I was in the audience at TEDxSydney where the first talk of the day came from the famed brain surgeon, Dr Charlie Teo. His TED Talk “There’s no such thing as false hope” was the stand out in a day full of highlights. During one of the breaks, my gorgeous friend approached him to thank him for his talk. I remember at this moment being totally star struck. For the first time since my aunt died, I was reminded that superhero’s aren’t just comic characters and here I was again in the company of a real-life superhero.
So, what about all of us average Joe’s? Can we really become superheroes?
I’ve lost count of the number of times someone has told me that I’m just like my aunt. I’m not talking about the times I’ve heard that I look just like her, I’m talking about what is quite literally the biggest compliment you could give me, that I am just like her. Why is it then that when I think of my aunt I think of a warrior and of the ultimate superhero, but when I was looking in the mirror I just didn’t see it.
My moment of realization happened little under a year ago. For quite a long time, I had found myself knee deep fighting in a pretty challenging situation. When it changed and I got an opportunity to reflect back, one of the things that struck me most was how well I maintained my integrity and given the circumstances, how well I dealt with it.
I handled it exactly like my superhero aunt would have, by honouring my values and by being completely unwavering in my conviction to do what is right.
I can honestly say that this was the first time in my entire life that I had felt such a sense of beaming pride and the first time I truly found my inner superhero.
The greatest thing about finding your inner superhero is that once you’ve found it and you know it’s in there you can never un-find it. Your inner superhero just got “outed” and it most certainly doesn’t want to go back into hiding.
It’s time that we all let our inner superhero’s out to play. It’s time we celebrate our own powers and it’s time we rejoice in all that we have to offer to the world instead of trying to find it elsewhere. It’s time we help each other unleash the powers within.
What drew me to writing a blog wasn’t just that I felt that I had a lot to say. My main purpose is to offer real value and to help each and every one of you find the best version of yourself. That’s my number 1 goal every time I sit down to write. If I make a difference to one person then fuck yeah I’ve nailed my goal. If I make a difference to many then even better! I found my inner superhero and now I’m on a mission to help you find yours.
What are you waiting for? There’s never been a better time to unleash your own superhero powers!
Until next time,
Bx
