Santa Barbara, CA – Jeff Bochsler - Follow me on Twitter or tell the world on Facebook through the Share Link above.
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU:
Are you ready to take on superhuman capabilities this week? Are you prepared to be motivated by the past and empowered by a glorious goal? How about do away with the evildoers? Might the FORCE be with you?!
Superman is on the couch, so you can get off yours.
Heading into the 4th of July weekend, I’m fired up. I’m reminded of our accomplishments as a human race. Incredibly so, our accomplishments would seem superhuman from the perspective of a 1st Century Roman, 15th Century Monk, or even our very own first president of the United States of America, George Washington.
Each accomplishment started with one man or woman’s superhuman idea. One man or woman that had an idea seemingly crazy to his/her culture. One man or woman that acted boldly. Yet, what we often forget is that this man or woman was much more like US than different.
It is microscopic how little difference there is between you and them.
The majority of these inventions were not created by geniuses. They were created by what you would consider normal people. They were nothing more than people that had a problem and wanted it solved. They endured. They persevered.
15 SUPERHUMAN IDEAS BROUGHT TO LIFE BY FALLIBLE HUMANS: Read the full list by this clicking this link. Inventions.
- The Airplane–1903 – The Wright Brother’s weren’t the brightest, yet they were fired up about the “Why”. Watch Simon Sinek Ted Talk Video (8 minutes in he tells their story).
- Sliced Bread– 1928 – Otter Frederick Rohwedder invented a machine to slice bread. Newspaper Headline: “It’s the greatest invention since uhhhhh.”
- Beer – 6000BC – The Babylonians and Sumerians. Thanks to them we have an 8000 year old product that leads to people feeling superhuman yet acting superDumb.
- Chocolate– Mayan and Aztecs created it over the course of the 3rd to 10th Centuries. I guarantee it was the women leading the innovation. Which makes me wonder – What did women crave before the invention of chocolate?
- Internet – 1969 – The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) at the Department of Defense. They were indeed advanced.
- Kool-Aid– 1927 – Edwin E. Perkins. We in corporate America have been drinking it ever since.
- Light Bulb, Incandescent– 1879 – Thomas Alva Edison. Simply brilliant.
- Lock and Key– 2000 BC – The Assyrians. What might they have been protecting? The one wheel in the village?
- Paper– 105 AD – Ts’ai Lun. The rock engravers weren’t too happy about this little discovery.
- Personal Watercraft, Motorized– 1968 – Bombadier, Inc. 25 years later it became popular in the form of a SeaDoo.
- Photography– 1837 – Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre. Of course he was French.
- Scuba Gear– 1943 – Jacques Cousteau, Emile Gagnan. They made the ocean a giant aquarium. Get your scuba license.
- Snow Skis– 2000 BC – Sweden, Finland, Norway. Whenever we lose to any of them in the Olympics, we have a great excuse.
- Sunglasses– 1752 – James Ayscough. Were they cool back then, too?
- Zamboni – 1949 – Frank J. Zamboni. I’m not sure he factored in the effects of a slick rink on a terrible ice skater.
We don’t seem to truly believe we are capable. Why don’t we believe in ourselves? We have millions of stories from history that tell us, normal humans, are fully capable to be and do shockingly remarkable things.
And, even more incredibly, with a little research, I’ve found there to be little difference between us normal folk and a superhero.
TRAITS OF A SUPERHERO
Strong and Brave.
Intelligent.
Athletic and Unique.
Role Model.
Special Powers and Costumes.
Determined.
Motivating Past and Goal Oriented.
Secret Identity.
Love Interest and Arch Enemy.
All Equal = A Superhero.
At different moments in your life you have lived out each one of these tremendous traits. Agreed? Perhaps you could string many of them together at one time for greatness.
ONE REASON WE LOVE SUPERHEROES:
“Like Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man, we’re often forced to face the same worries, pressures, and dangers on a day to day basis, month after month, year after year, usually with little hint or hope for possible change.
I wonder if part of what draws us to superheroes is the fact that they never seem to bend under weariness, that they never fully surrender or die, if, perhaps, they serve as metaphors for our own gumption and fortitude, or, at the very least, as metaphors for our very condition, fighting, as we so often do, various never-ending battles, whether it be stopping a madman from poisoning the city reservoir, or, perhaps more realistically, steering a bus down the same street every day, or grading endless piles of student essays…
Perhaps superheroes serve as grand metaphors for our own endurance in the midst of the apparent absurdity and impossibility of existence.” – Danny Fingeroth
BEING A SUPERHERO DOESN’T MEAN PERFECTION:
“Everyone has a weak point, a fault in their character that they can’t help, so does superheroes.” – Danny Fingeroth
You see, being a superhero doesn’t mean you need to be perfect.
BE REMARKABLE:
You need not be an inventor or wear a cape to be a superhero with superhero ideas. How about being a superstar wife or a super awesome father this week? How about looking after your co-workers in ways you’ve never attempted? Or volunteering at an event from set-up to take-down?
For the next 7 days you are going to be remarkable. You are going to be strong and brave and motivated and unique. You are going to live out your “super” identity. For just one week. You are going to do the impossible.
Then next week you can pull off your imaginary cape. You can return to reporting the news. You can return to normalcy. You can return to being Clark Kent. And act as if nothing happened.
WHICH TYPE OF SUPERHERO TO BE: Start by answering these questions…
- What are your current projects, hobbies, and interests?
- Which do you want to excel at?
- What does being super remarkable look like within this realm?
- What is your motivating backstory?
- What super powers are you going to need?
- How are you going to need to act to succeed?
- Are you ready to be unique?
- What will be your costume? What symbol will you place on your chest?
- What does bravery look like in this setting? How are you going to be bold?
- How might you be a real Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Aquaman, or Spiderman?
Anything you see in YOUR mind you can create. You know this. So why don’t you give it a try this week? Get into character.
Be a superhero.
TELL ME. IT’S EASY:
I want to hear about which superhero character you are going to take on this week? Write one or two sentences below. Then plan on writing back next week with how it went. How did your experience of life change? How did those around you change in the way they acted toward you? Are you now ready to give 2 weeks in a row a try?
** Tell your friends to join hundreds of other AWESOME people who are intentionally working to better their lives through receiving this weekly MSR! Email me their information or have them sign up online at www.DailyIntent.com
Jeff Bochsler
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3 responses so far ↓
1
Ben
// Jun 28, 2011 at 8:26 am
Everybody knows Al Gore invented the internet!
2
Penelope Abbas
// Jun 28, 2011 at 12:02 pm
This post gave me incredible energy! So… to follow your instructions, Teacher Bochsler, this week I am going to: take crucial next work steps, maybe not without fear but despite it, work out to my heart’s content cuz, ya know, gotta be able to scale those fences, and maybe just chill out because I know- in the famous words/tone/expression of that one Obama image- “I GOT THIS.”
And yes, this IS my superhero name.
3
Penelope Abbas
// Jun 28, 2011 at 12:13 pm
Last name ‘Abbas’ pronounced: ‘Ab’ like the abdominals this superhero fam might try to develop, and ‘bas’ like the word ‘Boss’ and yeah, that’s thematic too. We’re all gonna be BAWSES by the end of this week. Or maybe next.
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