The kitten who has taken over our household has an official name: Nike. (The goddess of victory, in case you are not up on your ancient Greek mythology. Oh, and she also has four white shoes and runs fast.)
But the kids inform me that little Nike also has a superhero alter-ego.
They call her Supernova.
If I were a photoshop guru I would give you a photo of Supernova in her super suit…
but I’m not,
so you will have to imagine her wearing her spandex suit and a little red cape.
Anyway…
All this talk about kittens with superhuman powers (or is that superfeline?) got me thinking:
When do we need superheroes?
We never see them when things are going along just fine, do we?
They only show up when things go wrong. Superheroes rescue people from speeding trains, defend us from invading aliens, and stop evil geniuses before they can take over the world.
So, to make some generalizations:
- Superheroes use their powers during moments of chaos or calamity
- They remain calm and in control when others are afraid or unable to cope
- Once the situation has been dealt with, they return to their “normal” personas.
Those actions don’t look so very superhuman, do they?
I think all of us have opportunities to be ordinary superheroes.
What I mean is, although we don’t have superpowers like flying, turning invisible, or crashing through skyscrapers unscathed, we are able to wade into the chaos around us and help others through a sticky situation.
Parents are called to do this kind of ordinary superhero work all the time: when kids get grouchy, or the game gets derailed, SuperMom (using her super-secret Mommy Radar to detect a problem) can appear on the scene and calmly straighten things out.
Been there, done that, right?
I bet all of us have the ability to remain calm while dealing with certain kinds of problems. That is our “ordinary” superpower.
Chaos shows up in many ways, such as:
- The car suddenly stops working
- A classroom of children erupts into noisy chatter and flying objects
- A last-minute change throws weeks of event planning out the window
- Something begins smoking on the stove
- There’s a mouse running across the floor
I’ll bet at least one of the problems on the list will send your pulse skyrocketing. But maybe another one is exactly the kind of situation where you can shine. You’ve been in situations like it before, and you know how to handle it without freaking out.
From the point of view of those of us in the freaking out camp, you are the superhero when you arrive and take control of the situation.
So, what’s your ordinary superpower?
When do you thrive under pressure?
When can you remain calm while those around you panic?
What kinds of problems to enjoy tackling?
