I took my son to see the new animated Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse movie last week and this quote showed up at the end of the show:
“That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, the real superhero.” – Stan Lee (A quote from the Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse movie)
In the movie, Miles Morales has to put on the mask and become Spiderman even though he is unsure that he can do it. He doesn’t believe he is good enough yet to play that role. How many people can relate to the same situation in their own lives? You may struggle until you have someone in your life who believes in you and helps you to believe in yourself. When Miles finds that someone for him, he takes the leap of faith and sees that he can do more than he ever thought he could!
We may not have the superpowers that Spiderman and other superheroes have, but we do have the ability to be a superhero in our own way. Helping someone who is learning something new, mentoring them, providing advice, giving them the chance to believe in themselves or even just listening to them.
Miles says in the movie: “Anyone can wear the mask.” What if a part of your purpose is to be a superhero to someone else? What could you do to help them succeed or provide support to them? Leaders have the opportunity to be a superhero to someone else every day. Can you commit to playing the superhero role for someone…even if it is just one time per day? Imagine how it can help someone when they need it the most and how it will feel for you to be that superhero for them!
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” – Booker T. Washington