Showing posts with label Superman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Superman. Show all posts

Friday, November 20, 2015

Heroes Among Us

We are surronded by heroes. All we need to do is look around us. I wish that I could share a photo of everyone, because in some way we are all heroes. We are heroes to our children, our friends, our spouses, our co-workers, to random people. It doesn't matter who we are a hero to. Just remember your potential!
Let's look at Hugh Jackman, who professionally plays a super hero. His hero is his dad. Even Wolverine has a hero! 
 
Now let's look at Stan Lee. He is a millionaire from creating superheroes. He is the hero to others and yet here he is holding a sign that says he is for real life superheroes. Even the heroes need heroes!
 Let's not forget the biggest heroes of all. These men sacrifice their lives for our freedom. Their courage, selflessness, and honor make them real life heroes.

I created a survey asking college students and family members who their favorite hero/heroine was and what attributes their hero had that they admired. Below you will see the results of this survey. I was very surprised that Captain America was so popular. After asking the second part to the question, his popularity made sense. 
While some heroes were picked solely for their good looks, others were picked for their character. Some liked Thor because of his hammer. Others liked that Ironman is rich. But often, after describing these characteristics my fellow students began to delve deeper into their appreciation for their hero. A girl named Sydney stated, "I choose Charles Xavier because he is a great leader despite his physical limitations". Rochelle explained, "Ironman is smart, and he isn't afraid to give his opinion, and he tries even if he shows off a little bit. And he's attractive. BONUS- he listens to AC/DC". Finally, Harlee said, "my favorite hero would have to be the Hulk. I like that he realizes that he has flaws and yet he doesn't let those flaws define him. He tries his best to be a good person and help those around him."

We can learn so much from these heroes. That is what heroes are for, an example to look up to and to strive to be like. If only we could have the "good morals and goodness" about us that Rylee admires in Captain America. Being a hero doesn't require superhuman strength, cat-like reflexes, or mind-controlling abilities. It comes from within. Thor wouldn't be as amazing without his honor and worthiness to wield his hammer. Wonder Woman wouldn't be wonderful without her compassionate and good-hearted nature.

We, like the Hulk, have flaws. What makes us a hero is moving on despite those flaws. Fighting for and defending what is important to us shows a strength of character more than it shows a physical strength.
 You are the Hulk: Calm, and collected, and thoughtful, you're an intellectual with an unstoppable rage beast living just under the surface. You're not proud of that rage beast, but you have to appreciate the way it gets things done.
You are Captain America: A natural leader who sets
a good example and never gives up. People defer to your sense of justice and integrity. You do your best to protect others, and nothing upsets you more than someone being a bully.
 You are Superman: You embody a strong sense of morality and selflessness. Goodness is apart of your being, and you are a strong believer that all people are good and deserve a second chance. 


Thursday, October 29, 2015

You be my Lois Lane, I'll be Your Superman

Who doesn't want their story to end happily ever after? "Isn’t that what we all desire: to be the heroes and heroines of our own stories; to triumph over adversity; to experience life in all its beauty; and, in the end, to live happily ever after?" (Uchtdorf). As we all know, there is a lot of work to be done between our Once Upon a Time and our Happily Ever After. We all face our own hardships and misfortunes. Occasionally, when a marriage doesn't meet our expectations we may consider divorce. The purpose of this post is not to lecture you on divorce I am not the most reliable source on saving your marriage. Rather, I want to show ways for us to fight for our marriages. However, I do realize that despite our best efforts divorce must occur. I believe in heroes and that in the end good always triumphs over evil. I encourage you to heed the words of an unknown author which are, "when you feel like quitting think about why you started."
James E. Faust said, "I have strong feelings about what is not provocation for breaking the sacred ovenants of marriage. Surely it is not simply 'mental distress' nor 'personality differences,' nor 'having grown apart,' nor 'having fallen our of love.' This is especially so where there are children" (Hawkins et al). Just as marriage is a major decision in our lives, so is the decision to get a divorce and end a relationship that we were so desperately committed to. 

Faust also taught that we should provide time to decide about divorce. We should not decide to get a divorce in the spur of the moment. A lot of consideration should go into such an important choice. For example, "many people divorce after a short period of problems and make their dicesion quickly, based almost solely on emotion" (Hawkins et al). Often regret stirs in those who have been divorced.  
I believe that in many cases, divorce can be avoided. For many considering divorce "the cause is not incompatibility but sefishness. The first step is not separation but reformation" (Hawkins et al).

The Family: A Proclamation to the world states, "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities." As we work hard to create a loving atmosphere in our homes, happiness and joy will begin to abound. 

I believe that as we work through our trials together as spouses, our children will learn and grow from our examples. Solving problems as a team and not defaulting to divorce demonstrates the worth of marriage. Just as Superman always saves Lois from her doom, we can be the heroes in our marriages. We may not be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but we are shaping the future as we teach our children right from wrong. Through our examples, we can teach our children that in the end good triumphs over evil. That, despite the trials we may face, we can reach our happily ever after. 


Sources: 

Hawkins, A., Dollahite, D., & Draper, T. (2012). Should I Keep Trying to Work It Out? Sacred and Secular Perspectives on the Crossroads of Divorce. In Successful Marriages and Families: Proclamation Principles and Research Perspectives. Provo, Utah: BYU Studies and School of Family Life, Brigham Young University.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World. (1995, September 23). Retrieved October 29, 2015, from https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation

Uchtdorf, D. (2010, April 1). Your Happily Ever After. Retrieved October 22, 2015, from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/your-happily-ever-after?lang=eng