How Super Are You?  (Hint: I Know You are Pretty Super)

Who hasn’t imagined at some point in their lives that they were a superhero like Superman? Of course, we all have looked at the superpowers of Superman and wondered what life would be like with that power. But, amazingly, so many people don’t see the powers they possess—strength, character, and a commitment to truth and justice.

Hiding Our Inner Superman

My fascination with superheroes has been lifelong, but I would never have admitted it because I never wanted people to know what Clark Kent really was. Hiding my inner thoughts to avoid being detected by society and putting them at risk of destruction.  There is an easy connection from everyone’s mind to the Superman folk tale because we have all lived it in one way or another. Yes, we are all Supermen (or women).

Even though we don’t have “superpowers,” or at least I don’t, there is an inner talent that we are all born with, which is unique and totally yours.  This is something that may be

artistic and creative or really anything that is uniquely you.  Our lives tend to make us hide this “true identity” from the world. The duplicitous nature seems to exist in many people’s lives and allows us to relate to our superheroes from a very young.  We all had to act “well behaved” in certain circumstances and not like our normal wild heathen selves.  Our Clark Kent personalities were for Sundays and special occasions. Our superhero side came out every other time of day.

Like Superman, We all Have Kryptonite

An even deeper psychological connection exists between all people and Superman, and that is because we all have Kryptonite.  Kryptonite represents Superman’s childhood, his beginning, and it can destroy him. If anyone finds out about his origins, then you may destroy him.  How many people have felt the same way? Our own childhoods, good or bad, tend to provide us with the same quandary. If people knew about them, then they may not like us or reject us and, in effect, destroy us.  Much like Superman and Kryptonite, we are all afraid of our past, and that fear may ultimately lead to our destruction.

To most people, Superman’s idea is that even though he has a past and just might be destroyed, he still takes on the danger of doing what is right.  This, I believe, is the part of the folk tale that we all hope we can adopt.  There are continuous opportunities daily to “Do the right thing,” even if it is not easy.  Knowing what is right and doing what is right is a problem that has perplexed man since there was first a significant thought. However, despite all of this, there are still people who choose to take the high road, regardless of their cost.  These are the superheroes that do exist, and probably at one point in their very young lives, tied a blanket around their neck and jumped from the top of the couch, believing they could fly.

You will Fly Again

Even if you have fallen at one point in life or even two or ten, there is still a power of

goodness within you that can rise again. The superhero can dust off the cape and remember the things that make them powerful and unique individuals. Choosing the path that is right for you can start each day anew. Superman can rise again today.

Some will tell you that Superman never existed, and the stories are just entertainment; others will hear this diagnosis, smile, and never reveal the truth. But, Superman exists as much as you want him to, inside every one of us.