Find Your Inner Wonder Woman!

Read Time:2 Minute, 49 Second

Coffee fuels me. Coffee in a Wonder Woman cup… well, how can one NOT step more lively when your morning starts off like that? At least that’s what I felt like when I snapped the photo above and posted it to Instagram.

Not that long ago, my daughter had been hanging out in the valley of “I love books, stories of adventure, learning new facts and reading on my own, but I still struggle a little bit.” I was unaware at the time when I had picked up a box of Cheerios that there was a comic book included. (I thought the coveted cereal box prizes went the way of the dinosaurs… along with my childhood!) At the time, this little graphic novel was the bridge that my daughter needed between written word and sequential illustrations to help her develop her confidence and ability. It also delivered an interesting side dish: a fascination for Wonder Woman.

She must not be alone. In fact, you don’t need to look too hard to find Wonder Woman items waiting to accessorize your take-on-the-world attitude. Fairly recently, PBS even aired a fantastic documentary, Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines, about the road these fictional women superheroes have journeyed through the years.

It had me thinking about superheroes in general.

They stand up for what is good.
They help those in need.
They overcome, what seems to be, impossible odds to deliver a message of hope, perseverance, and drive for the greater good.

Each day, we are given opportunities to let a little bit of our superhero side out. I’m not talking about sporting a leotard and fighting crime (kudos to you if you do either of those things) but I’m talking about being a presence of goodness for someone else. Regardless of age, gender, physical ability and strength, or aptitude for academia, everyone is capable of delivering kindness, hope and offering a hand to help to those around them.

We don’t need to knock down buildings to save the day.
We need to open doors for those walking in behind us.
We don’t need to bound evil villains to protect society.
We need to be the welcoming face to those who feel alone and abandoned.
We don’t need super strength to move mountains.
We need kindness and forgiveness in your tool-belt.

The small things that you do everyday may not get you your own Halloween costume or action figure. And, most likely, no one will have birthday cake on a plate that sports your face, but to the person who is the recipient of your kindness, you will be their superhero.

When I think of small gestures of kindness and enormous amounts of compassion and forgiveness, I think of Anne Frank. She was so young, and her story has touched so many lives since the time that she had put pen to paper. To me, she is embodied what a true superhero stands for, and inspires me time and time again.

Look for those superhero moments in your everyday life. There’s no need to shout your good deeds from the rooftop, but the next time you spot some Wonder Woman merchandise, smile and know that you are a bit of a Wonder yourself.