24 June 2017

When you need to stop an asteroid, you get Superman.  When you need to solve a mystery, you call Batman.  But when you need to end a war, you get Wonder Woman.  ~ Gail Simone

Last night I pulled out the dvd’s of one of my favorite TV series.  I’d been feeling the pull to revisit it, knowing I wanted to, also knowing it’s hard to watch because it wrenches my heart.

Once again, I was immediately drawn in by the main character’s vulnerability to both internal and external forces.  He’s blazingly smart.  He’s deeply wounded.  He’s got this huge heart that can hold and comfort a dying drug addict that he himself has just shot.  He says odd things because his experiences have shaped him differently and allow him to see things that others can’t.  His unusual way of understanding things is his greatest strength, his super power.  And, at the same time, it sets him apart and makes others uncomfortable, leery, even suspicious of him.

This is how it can be when we’re authentic.  When we step outside the ‘normal box’.  We learned as kids that when we use our own super powers of perception, integrity, or creativity we risk ridicule and alienation.  As adults, taking these risks is an inherent part of creating our individual expressions of life.

Trust can help.

Trusting and appreciating that diversity is part of what makes life amazing.  Trusting that we deserve a life that pleases and satisfies us.  Trusting that our perspectives are valuable, maybe especially when they don’t jive with everyone else’s.

I routinely fail at all of this, but like the character in the show, like all heroes, like most of us, I persist.  Because the stakes are high.  This is my one wild and precious life.

Super powers aren’t safe everywhere.  Even Wonder Woman has to cloak herself at times. But to create a satisfying life that includes intimacy and exploration, I need my superpowers.  Actually, I need yours, too.

Let’s nurture our unique abilities and interests.  Let’s bring them out into our world.  Let’s celebrate them together.

I wonder what your super powers are.  I know you have them.