I have a nephew who loves comics. He reads and collects the avidly Batman, Superman, Spiderman, the X-Men; he reads them all. And he's not the only one. Nowadays comics are big business, with complex story lines and beautiful artwork, far more integrate then when I was a boy, and spinning off into popular movies and TV shows. It's all a lot of fun.

Now, I don't wish to be a wet blanket, but I have discovered something about the comic book super-hero that rubs me the wrong
way. I wasn't sure exactly what it was at first, but, after looking over my nephew's collection, I discovered that the super-hero genre holds within it a subtle message of powerlessness. I know that sounds ironic, given that superheroes generally have such incredible powers. Let me explain… In all of these stories, humanity is faced with serious problems, just like in the real world. The difference is, in the fantasy world of comics, the solution to all of our difficulties comes in the form of a person with powers far beyond that of normal folk. He or she arrives on the scene in brightly colored tights and sets the problem straight using super-human strength and incredible powers. SMASH! BOOM! BANG! The problem is solved and the hero moves on to his next adventure.

We can all be heroes without being “Supermen”

These stories in themselves are harmless and fun, but they indicate a kind of frustration with the world that starts up inside our heads when we are children and grows like a weed in the gardens of our mind all through adulthood. We are all unhappy with the world from time to time, and we all fantasize about what we would do concerning the state of global affairs if we only had more personal power. We would set the world straight again IF we were rich enough, IF we were powerful enough, or IF we had extra-ordinary abilities. But we are just ordinary people, and, as such we have come to believe that we cannot effect real change. We begin to dream about someone or something else, outside of our selves, that will swoop down and make it all better. We assume that we are too puny, too powerless to make the world a better place, so we passively sit back and hope that some great and powerful being will come along and make it all right again. Thus, the comic-book fantasy indicates a kind of disheartenment we feel about ourselves.

Of course, this is not to say that we have all bought into this gloominess. Quite the opposite: real-life, flesh and blood heroes abound in our world, and they have an important lesson to teach us all. They show us that we can all be heroes without being Supermen. In fact, the sooner we get over the Myth of Superman, (that is, the idea that we need Supermen to help us,) the sooner we each can become real heroes ourselves.

People who make a difference are not caped ”Supermen” but pebbles in the pond of human life

There are many people around us who have improved the world we live in. We have learned about them in schools and on the news. Often, they are built up to look like Supemen, as if they are impossible to emulate, as if their talents are beyond the abilities of common people. This is a fallacy. Real-life heroes are just normal people like you and me. They face doubt, uncertainty, fear, and frustration just like all of us. What makes them different is not Super-abilities, but the fact that they have chosen to make a difference by becoming the best they can be. They have worked hard and developed a skill, and are willing to go through the challenges to get there. You could be one of them. You just have to believe.

The greatest barrier to believing that we can be heroes is not any lack of talent, but the menacing presence of negative emotions in our heads and feelings of puniness and insignificance. If we could just get over these dark and power-draining emotions, we would be one step closer to each of us being real heroes, and putting the Myth of Superman to rest.

In my own journey, I have discovered that the source of these negative emotions is a
sense of alienation. Most people see themselves as being alone and insignificant. But the great Teachers of the past have all counseled us to see ourselves as interconnected, just like all the cells of your body are connected. We are part of a great
whole, and a person can not act without affecting other things. It's like dropping a pebble in to a still pond. The ripples of
action travel outward, impacting all the other molecules in the pond and creating movement. People who make a differenceF
are not caped Supermen, but pebbles in the pond of human life. They have adopted the Zig Ziglar philosophy “If you help enough
people get what they want, I can have anything I want.

” So true heroes make a difference after all, even if the difference happens over time, and the results are not as obvious as when Superman tears through a concrete wall.

The one thing that true heroes hold in common with their colorful comicbook contemporaries is that they are indeed observed and admired by others, especially children. Children are always watching and learning from their heroes, and that can be the most intimidating part of the heroes' job. You are their mentor, whether you like it or not, and that is huge responsibility. Parents struggle to make an impact in their children's values and beliefs, but they need your help, especially these days, now that both parents are working, or

Heroes come from the heart, not from a different planet

that so many parents are single. We need more mentors to shatter the Myth of Superman, and to let our children know that heroes come from the heart and not from a different planet. The kids need to know that their actions are significant, and that each pebble sends ripples over the whole pond. You must teach them that no act of goodness is pointless. They need to see the hero in themselves, and the hero in you.

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The Myth of Superman Seeing true “personal power” within yourself By Michael McGauley Michael McGauley, B.A., DTM, is a
national motivational speaker, coach and corporate trainer. For additional articles or to book Michael for your next event,
visit www.thedreambuildersinc.com, email mike@thedreambuildersinc.com, or call 1-866-878-8289 We can all be heroes without
being “Supermen” People who make a difference are not caped ”Supermen” but pebbles in the pond of human life. Heroes come from the heart, not from a different planet.