SPOILER ALERT:
THIS “MAN OF
STEEL” PREVIEW
REVEALS 10 SECRETS OF SUPERMAN
The next Superman
movie -- “Man of Steel” opens this Friday.
It cost $200+ million
to make. It’s intended to inaugurate a Batman/Dark Knight-sized series. Like
that 21st Century interpretation the newest Superman is supposed to
be darker, more brooding, introspective, and conflicted than previously.
At one point, early reports say, the Man of Steel sports a
long beard which has given rise to much speculation about the secret of how he
shaves.
And the red shorts over the blue, uh, long johns? Gone.
Spoiler alert: I
care … but not that much.
Here’s why: It’s
a movie. It’s real life that has real lessons about real issues.
Certainly there are movie “touch points” that serve well as shorthand
to better communication and understanding. And as I often do in TGIMs
(and as I’m doing now) they’re a useful bridge or default to make a connection
or a point.
Like this: An
early and significant writing collaboration with my friend Eric Taylor was a
chapter on “Heroes” in a volume
entitled 101 Ways to Improve Your Life. It’s about a real Superman who also brought a
distinct grace and character to the portrayal of the character Superman.
Christopher Reeve
It’s primarily Eric’s
story.
Based on his experience.
Told in his voice.
The outline version I’ll share below is one of the earliest
recountings. I know it underpins Eric’s being. Today I simply want to add that,
in the nearly a decade I’ve been a part of it, it has become a great influence
on my abiding philosophy as well.
It’s that important.
So, before you head for the multiplex and shell out for tickets, popcorn and a jumbo
drink, read this … reflect … and, I hope, relate.
10 Life Lessons I Learned from Superman
(and
How They Changed My Life Forever)
For many, the actor who epitomized the character “Superman”
is Christopher Reeve, and as millions know, at the height of his career he
suffered a tragic accident that left him totally paralyzed, unable to care for
himself or, initially, even to breathe unassisted.
With the support of his wife, Dana, Chris persevered and
battled back, becoming a vigorous advocate and the public face for research
that develops treatments and cures for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury
and other central nervous system disorders. The foundation that now bears their names has awarded hundreds of millions in research grants to the world’s best
neuroscientists and Quality of Life grants worth over $15.7 million to
nonprofit organizations that help improve the daily lives of people living with
paralysis, particularly spinal cord injuries.
Christopher Reeve redefined courage and hope. His strength,
determination, and compassion inspired the world, but what I think is the
superhuman part of the story has not been fully told. There’s more to this
story for me and greater lessons for us all.
It was my distinct privilege to produce Chris’s last public
appearance in New Jersey. I’ll never forget it—or him. He died on October 10,
2004, just 11 days after the event. He is my hero.
Christopher Reeve taught me 10 lessons that day. I know that
they apply to you, and that when you decide to take them to heart and act on
them, they will change your life, too.
1. Empower yourself
first! The only way to truly connect with another human is to connect with
yourself first. Compassion, rapport, and caring all come from allowing,
understanding, and knowing yourself first.
Action Idea: Take time out of each day (even if by
self-appointment) to reflect on the day, week, month, or year. Evaluate the
words you chose to speak and the actions you chose to take. Ask yourself the
critical question, “Am I being congruent
with what I truly believe and value?”
2. Refuse absolutes.
Anyone who says “that will never happen” doesn’t understand faith, persistence,
and belief. There are few, perhaps no absolutes. The world was once thought to
be flat; Christopher Columbus debunked that myth and created a paradigm shift
for mankind. Christopher Reeve should not have survived as long as he did and
accomplish as much as he did after his accident.
Action Idea: Have you embraced false absolutes with “security
thinking?” Remove all self-imposed limitations and boundaries that you (or
someone else) have placed in your mind.
3. Become a respected
and feared competitor. Respect and fear are equally important. Have the
respect of your peers, but be sure that they are aware that you are playing to
win every time!
Action Idea: Get close to your competitors, and let them get
close to you—but only in physical proximity! Treat them with kindness and
respect, but keep your eye on the prize.
4. Get moving as soon
as possible. If you allow yourself to procrastinate there will never be “enough”
time for getting ready. So, when you set a goal … make a decision … experience
adversity; get moving immediately.
Christopher’s tragedy was something for which he could not
have prepared. Chris knew that if he didn’t take action immediately to find a
cure and to move toward walking again, he might begin to think that death was a
better alternative.
Action Idea: Decide! Once you make up your mind to achieve a
desired outcome or goal, never let anything or anyone stop you.
5. You have more
talent and gifts than you realize. You possess all of the resources to lead
an extraordinary life. Accept the gifts, and use them to serve.
Action Idea: Ask “What if
…?” questions. “What if I could discover the cure for AIDS?” “What if I
could run a three-minute mile?” “What if I give love first without expecting
anything in return?”
6. Give yourself a
chance—you are worthy. Let the people who love you, love you. Share your
dreams and desires with those who can, will, and want to help you. Don’t beat
yourself up when you fail.
Action Idea: Everything is an experience, not a test. The
events that take place in our lives are not a thermometer to gauge our
self-worth. The most important opinion you must possess in your life is the
opinion you have of you!
7. Nothing is impossible. Use your personal power and have faith that
you can overcome and achieve anything you set your mind to. A mindset that
replaces the negativity of impossibility with that can-do positivity of what IS possible is a mind-set each of us
should embrace.
Action Idea: Faith equals persistence. If you believe you can,
you can. Walt Disney said, “You will see
it when you believe it.”
8. Ignore your own
feelings of inadequacy. There is almost always someone doing better than
you are. The grass always looks greener on the other side, and that, as we
know, is almost always a false assumption.
What‘s more important is what you are doing and what your
goals are. If you honor self-promises and stick to your dreams and goals, your
time will come. The real truth is that that legendary glass is always half
full, and that partly cloudy is also partly sunny. These small distinctions can
pay huge dividends in your life.
Action Idea: Your mind and your body are your most prized
possessions. Protect them by being cautious about what you allow to enter.
9. Negativity kills
empowerment. Negativity drains energy, diminishes hope, blocks creativity,
and steals faith and one’s ability to persist. Beware of negative self-talk and
negative thinking and all the things and people in your life that are
dream-stealers.
Action Idea: Just as empowerment begins with you, positivism in
your world begins with you as well. You are a leader. Become a leader in your
life first.
Surround yourself with everything and everyone that makes
you feel good. Avoid negative people… negative news … negative thoughts. Life
is too short not to be happy.
10. Giving up is not
an option. You are not automatically entitled to everything in this life,
but you are entitled to become your personal best. After his accident Dana told
Chris, “I still love you, you are still you.” That moment, he said, his giving
up was not an option. He knew that he had only one choice and one life to leave
his legacy.
What will your legacy be? What will you create? What is your
purpose for being here?
Action Idea: Winners have not quit. And, obviously, quitters
can’t win. Quitting does last forever. If you have yet to discover your
calling, get excited! It is about to be discovered. If you know your calling, go
there with passion and serve.
Those, in a nutshell, are 10 Life and Leadership lessons
Eric Taylor and I learned from a heroic real-life Superman, Christopher Reeve.
TGIM ACTION IDEA: Strive to live them every day.
Now, Go Forward!
Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing
8 Depot Square
Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com
P.S. There’s one
more quote from Chris that, as Eric says, takes a bit of thinking to
understand, but we’d like you to consider it.
If there is no great glorious end to all this,
if nothing we do matters,
then all that matters is what we do.
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