The Myth of Superman
How many of you have already seen Superman Returns?
I don’t know about you, but I never liked Superman.
Maybe it was his blue tights, maybe he seemed so bland, maybe he just wasn’t as cool as Batman. But I never really got him. Not until this movie.
Watching Superman Returns I was awed, again and again, and somehow I suspected it wasn’t only the special effects. It wasn’t until later after the show that I finally understood why the story of Superman speaks to us: the myth of the Superman has always been there.
From the days where Greek gods walked amongst mortals, to Buddha, Jesus, to Nietzsche’s ‘Superman’, to Neo from the Matrix, this idea of a human being who’s better, stronger and faster has always been part of our histories, from all cultures all over the world.
I think that it’s part of our drive to become more that creates this idea of the Superman, and nowhere is that more apparent in the movie. When all hope seems lost, when the odds seem impossible, when the fight seems lost, a Super-human will overcome and triumph against all odds.
Deep inside of ourselves, we all want to believe that despite the adversities of life, we can become better, stronger and faster and overcome the odds: that somewhere inside of ourselves is a Superman or Superwoman.
It’s this drive and belief that creates the myth of Superman again and again through the ages, drives us to stretch beyond ourselves, and it’s this part inside of us that is inspired and drawn to stories of ordinary people who have triumphed in extraordinary circumstances, because we know there is their greatness in us as well.
I really enjoyed this post. It’s easy to forget how powerful our physical reactions are! I like your approach here. Especially reminding the reader that we are not always ready for change — though we think we are! I agree that the real failure is letting fear stop us. Thanks for posting this!
Hi Julie,
Thank you for your kind words. I am glad it was helpful! “Coping with Stress” is a part of a series of articles on Stress that I have written, hopefully Life Coaches Blog will be posting the rest. So keep in touch!
Kindest regards,
Karen
This is a great article. I especially like the list of symptoms… some of which a lot of people may not recognize as a sign of stress.
It’s also important to continue with your stress managment activities even when there are no signs or symptoms of stress. Doing this will help you become stressed less often and ward off stress before it even begins.
Hi Jill,
Absolutely, it should be a way of life! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Kindest regards,
Karen
Hi,
Great site!!!!! Good health is very important with the high cost of medical coverage. We need to have a healther lifestyle by taking care of our health eating and exercising. I am a cancer survivor and I know. Our health is our greatest asset. Keep up the Good Work!!!!!
The physical body does not differentiate between happy stress and overwhelm. Stress is stress. We need to develop coping mechanisms in our daily life to avoid the harmful, physiological effects of stress.