Over the past few weeks we have explored a way of becoming super that is hinged on allowing our imagination to guide us. The first two steps are more of an internal experience—paying attention and finding affection—and today we will begin to move.
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Now we have reached the time of action—it is time to respond. To respond is a very different action than to react, which is a more common impulse. Reacting comes from habits—things we just do without thinking. When a Frisbee is coming toward our head, we duck. If we ever got bullied in school, seeing that bully will bring a reaction—we might want to turn around and walk in the other direction. If we had a bad experience in the town pool, we might walk far away from the edge of the water. When we react we act without giving the matter any consideration—we just act.
All Superheroes must respond. To respond is to act out of a real and immediate understanding of the situation. To respond is to act out of connection and feelings for everyone involved. To respond is to be ready for that bully, to be ready for that water and to be ready for that Frisbee and maybe—just maybe—choose a more powerful way of relating to it.
So—a quick review—the first step is to pay attention—to keep your eyes open. Lots of things come into your awareness and you then employ the second step—believe it—to decide how to proceed. So … after following the second step and really believing that what you saw or heard or whatever is real, it is much easier to respond rather than falling into reaction. Your senses are awake, your heart is engaged and then you have an opportunity to participate—to be a part of something. But it is only an invitation. To respond requires courage. It asks you to be brave.
To “Do Something Brave” you to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. Comfort zones are very personal of course—brave for one person is a piece of cake for another. Brave for one person may be jumping off a building onto a passing bus. For another, it may be introducing himself to someone he doesn’t know. It doesn’t matter. The situation at hand will ask you to respond and it may be as simple as picking up an orange and giving it to the woman who dropped it. Responding may be picking up a candy wrapper and throwing it away. Likely, however, responding will involve a level of playfulness. In the scenario where the old man is whispering to a statue and the statue moves, responding may include also talking to the statue. It may be talking to another statue and waiting for it to move. It may involve following the old man and later asking him about the statue. All risky, all dependent on your bravery.
Doing something brave will teach you something. It will teach you something about yourself that you did not know or you may have forgotten. Doing something brave will open doors that you may have always wanted open. It might show you possibilities that you did not think were possible but secretly wished were possible—like making statues move, or jumping high, or reading minds. Doing something brave will show you your super powers. We are close.
Have a great week discovering all the cool stuff you can do. But you are not a superhero yet. Having superpowers might make you a hero—but not a superhero. See you next week.
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Read more:
How To Be Super, Part 1: Introduction
How To Be Super, Part 2: Keep Your Eyes Open
How to Be Super, Part 3: Believe It
Photo: Marvel Promotion