My Superhero Origin Story

Yesterday, I shared with you the idea that your personal or career “origin story” might be more heroic than  you think.

You know some of these superhero origin stories, even if you never read comic books. The MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and DCEU (DC Extended Universe) are very much part of our popular culture.

How about you and your origin story?

Are you like a member of the Fantastic Four, taking a risk, facing failure, and in the process discovering new capabilities that you never dreamed of?

Maybe like one of the X-Men, capable of extraordinary things but needing the right mentor to help you discover your talents?

Or the Hulk, stepping out of a place of relative safety and gaining great powers because of it?

(That’s more like the comic book version than the movie version)

If I may use myself as an example:

My origin might be like Shazam, finding myself in a strange and unexpected place, gaining powers from a group of wise and powerful figures.

Or maybe like Doctor Strange, deprived of my abilities and wandering across the Earth (or across Ohio and into Michigan, in my case), hoping for salvation and in the process gaining a whole new set of gifts.

Maybe both. Because while it’s fun to compare our stories to these fictional ones, our origins are unique. They are our own.

And other than the ornate gown and fancy hat that I get to wear a few times a year, that’s where the superhero fantasy ends.

Except it doesn’t.

You are for real. And so am I. And we have amazing abilities.

Think about it. What are your powers and how did you get them?

What do you think?

See you tomorrow.