SHOW NOTES:
On this show…we are taking action, becoming our own superheroes, and saving ourselves. Now you might think, “yeah right, easier said than done!” and you would be right, words are not enough – it’s going to take action. Let’s not forget the famous credo of the infamous Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Saving the day is no easy task and who wants to do that over and over. After you swoop in and become the hero of your own life it’s time to be strategic. How can we harness this power for the good and make sure we spend our precious time wisely.
Have you ever been asked, “if you could be a superhero what would be your power?” Seeing through metal, leaping tall buildings, breathing underwater?
Of course, it’s fun to fantasize about dressing up as an alter ego and fighting all the demons in our lives but the reality is, you do have power over your life. Even on the days your feel powerless, there is a phone booth just ready for you to change, empower yourself, and fly to your own rescue.
For fun, you can go to https://www.whatsyourpower.com/ and take a short quiz to find out what your superpower might be.
To get here or to be any help at all, I had to start with myself. I had things a little distorted, instead of helping to make the world a better place I wanted to FIX the people in my life to make my world a better place. Helpful? No, unproductive and frustrating. I had to grab my own oxygen mask first before I could assist anyone else.
- We think self-care means being selfish.
- We confuse “rescuing” with caring.
- We are accustomed to relationships based on neediness, not real love.
- We don’t realize we teach people how to treat us.
- We expect others to take care of us.
- We don’t realize our worth.
Finding a positive support system is paramount. Plugging into good people who want the best for you and guide you instead of hold you back is critical. Spending time connecting spiritually and listening, studying, and meditating is soul-nourishing. Saving yourself isn’t one act of bravery, it’s an ongoing meaningful mission.
Just as a superhero has powers and props to help them through any struggle – so do you!
Superheroes don’t wipe their problems away – they confront them. And they do so with very specific strengths of character. The physical powers are secondary, really, to their character traits. Being your own superhero means that you adopt those character traits, even if you don’t have X-ray vision.
Patrick Cole gives us 8-Steps to Personal Strength in an article he wrote for everydaypower.com
- Use Failure and Adversity to Propel You
- Assess Your Mental Strength
- Name Your Powers
- Identify the Detractors/Weaknesses
- Listen to Your Inner Self and Respond
- Embrace the Negativity – Then Knock it Out of the Park
- Gather Your Weapons
- Stay True to Your Principles
For too long I avoided me and my problems as I worked on saving everyone around me. I was convinced it was my purpose otherwise why did it feel like everyone needed me so much. My superhero mask must have been on backward because I was certainly in the dark. I had to take a good hard look at myself, my behavior, and start getting real. I had my own slew of problems that I wasn’t owning up to. Time to grow up and face the music instead of the firing squad.
Marelisa Fabrega gives us some Rules of Adulthood in an article she wrote for daringtolivefully.com
Persecutor: If you’re having a problem, or you’re facing an obstacle to achieving a goal that’s important to you, you’re likely to see that problem or obstacle as if it were a persecutor (the persecutor can be a person, an event, a situation, and so on).
Victim: You act like you’re being victimized by the persecutor, and you feel helpless to do anything to remedy the situation.
Rescuer: Since you feel like you can’t remedy the situation yourself, you wait passively for someone or something to come to your rescue.
A lot of our culture is made up of this drama triangle. For example, you can recognize the drama triangle in stories that involve a damsel in distress, a villain holding her captive, and a hero who sweeps in to rescue her. Of course, this dynamic doesn’t apply just to women; it applies to men as well. A lot of us are harboring rescue fantasies.
Be honest with yourself: is there an area of your life in which you’re passively waiting for a stroke of luck or for someone to come out of the blue and save you? Are you telling yourself, “Someday, when this or that happens, I’m finally going to be able to . . .” Stop waiting for a rescuer or for some chance event to take place, and begin taking steps to rescue yourself.
CHALLENGE: take a look in the mirror, explore your denial and your truth, abandon your belief that your powers are not to be used for your own rescuing, and take action today. Saving your world is a worthy cause.
I Know YOU Can Do It!