Who Is Your Personal Hero?

A personal hero is someone who can inspire us, someone who can remind us of what we stand for. Who is your personal hero? Over time, she realizes that she might not need her legs to be a superhero. She uses technology to help other superheroes and operates a worldwide communications network. As Chuck and I talked about Barbara Gordon’s journey of becoming Oracle, he smiled. He actually looked up at me, which was in contrast to his usual position of looking down in shame. We talked about how a change in someone’s ability does not have to change their superhero status. He rolled in on his wheelchair, grinning at me. You won’t believe how fast I am in this thing, Doc! Chuck shared with me that he was able to chase his son around the backyard and was able to help his wife with groceries in the past week. It was the first time that he seemed to realize that much like in this case, his heroic self never changed. And this realization empowered him. Like Chuck, many people believe themselves to be weak, broken, or somehow defective when they are going through the most challenging time of their life. They often fail to realize that their experiences strengthen them, and that facing their adversity is not a sign of weakness but rather the foundation of their greatest strength.

Easy Target

As outside observers, you might notice other people’s experiences with adversity and be in awe of their courage and perseverance. Yet, when you are the one struggling, you might forget to see how many mountains you’ve already climbed. You might forget how much you’ve already overcome and might not realize that to an outsider, you already look like a superhero. Sometimes when we forget to find the strength in our experiences, we can find it in our heroes. Like Chuck, any of us might also benefit from a heroic role model, who can remind us that we are not alone in our experiences or struggles, who can remind us that sometimes the worst experiences we have ever had might become our most powerful teachers. Don’t get me wrong, pain and suffering are not gifts. And yet, sometimes they unlock our inner superpowers that we did not even know existed. In order to help our clients to unlock their deepest strengths, sometimes it can be helpful to assist them in first finding a heroic mentor who can guide them through this process. For example, a personal hero can be a family member, such as a parent or a grandparent, whether they are living or no longer alive. Similarly, a personal hero could be a teacher or a coach, or someone else that you might look up to. For some of us, our personal heroes might also include fictional characters that inspire us, like Batman, Wonder Woman, or Dumbledore. See if you can take a few moments to think about who some of your heroes might be.

Straight Down The Middle

You can pick one, two, or several heroes. Write their names or draw them below. For example, you might admire them for being courageous even when they are scared, for helping others, for being kind and compassionate, for being funny, or for standing up for what they believe in. Please write out or draw what you admire about your favorite heroes. Can you think of a time when you felt sad, scared, or alone? What was going on then, there? Please write out or draw your answer below. If any of your heroes could be there for you during that time, which would you wish to have been there for you? What do you imagine they would have said to you? How would they try to support or encourage you? Please write out or draw your answer below. Recently, I was working with a teen client, who struggled with depression, social anxiety disorder, and panic attacks. Let’s call her Kelly. Kelly experienced public shaming by her elementary school teacher, and bullying by her classmates while in middle school. Over the years, Kelly’s anxiety and depression continued to worsen. She frequently avoided class presentations and asking questions in class. Over time, her panic attacks became so severe that Kelly was unable to attend school, spending nearly 6 months at home.

If I Look Back I Am Lost

She was able to do all her schoolwork but was unable to interact with other students or communicate about what she was going through. Briefly, Supernatural is an American television show about two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester, who hunt supernatural monsters, such as demons, werewolves, and vampires, saving people and preventing numerous disasters and atrocities. Kelly mentioned that she strongly identified with the older brother, Dean Winchester, whose character often kept his feelings to himself, but felt responsible for other people’s wellbeing. Kelly completed the Origin Story activity and identified her personal hero as Dean Winchester. When asked what Dean would say to her if she could ask him for guidance, Kelly replied, Dean would remind me that I’ve already been facing many of these monsters for years. Specifically, Kelly practiced going to the mall with me and with her parents. In Kelly’s case, she was already coming into therapy to receive treatment for anxiety and depression. However, some clients, especially younger children, or even adults who have not had a lot of experience in talking about their mental health, might struggle to even realize that they need help. One of the boys reported that the comics depicted exactly what he experienced in terms of being molested by a teenage neighbor. Not surprisingly, only 9 percent of children chose apples, which means that 91 percent of children chose French fries as their food of choice. The children were then primed with one question, What do you think Batman would eat? Most of the children stated that Batman would pick apples over French fries. These results suggest that people might be able to at least temporarily change their behavior when inspired to do so by a hero they admire.