There comes a time in all of our lives when the veil of assumption and glorification is lifted and we see things for what they really are. All that “magic” that kept us in awe of something or someone suddenly dissipates in the face of reality. See reality is a mean mother fucker-it hits you, over and over and over again. Relentless. Merciless. Never takes a day off. We have all heard that old adage about how nobody hits harder than life. It’s corny and has been repeated way too many times but the fact is that it’s totally true. The sad thing is that it hits harder the older you get. You start to lose things that are close to you, you are burdened with more responsibility and if you’re like me you are almost hindered by an unwavering sense of ambition. The vague and almost childish idea of being great. Doing something worth nothing something different.
Doubt starts to creep in when you realize that the greatness that you often were in awe of was the result of sacrifice, hard work, failure, and perseverance. It wasn’t because the person was special. It wasn’t because they bought into the idea that they are somehow exceptional or more important than everyone else, and that life would somehow place all their dreams at their feet.
There is a monologue in the Kill Bill series where the mythology of Superman is examined. Superman is not a human that puts on a suit and fights crime at night. He is an alien humanoid that has exceptional powers. This is what makes him different. Other super heroes have to disguise themselves when they go out and fight crime, Superman is naturally Superman. He has to disguise himself as one of us, as Clark Kent to live an everyday life. He has to become one of us because well he can’t be Superman ALL the time. The interesting thing is the person Superman chooses to be when he attempts to assimilate with humanity. His version of humanity is a scared, clumsy, anxious, fearful worker named Clark Kent. His interpretation of us is a weak one. He doesn’t see us as trail blazing confident people. The reason I bring that up is because sometimes maybe we see ourselves as Superman. As someone that knows it all and has a reason or excuse when something doesn’t go according to plan. When something doesn’t work it’s not your fault or a result of your shortcomings-the world has simply conspired against you. Right?
NO.
Unfortunentaly a trap that I fear a lot of us fall into is that we see OURSELVES under a perception of awe or wonderment. We see ourselves not as Clark Kent but as Superman. Well take the cape off because you’re not fucking Superman. You can’t get to where you want to go by having a false sense of entitlement. You can’t get where you want to go by thinking you can bypass all the hardwork and sacrifice. That’s life man. The weakness and vulnerability that makes Clark Kent that makes us who we are is what makes life worth living. It’s fucking beautiful. Embrace it. Rejoice in it and go out there and be a savage. Fail over and over and over again. FUCK IT. Who cares? One thing doesn’t work try again. That one didn’t work either? Well shit go on to the next one. Envision who it is you want to be and pursue it with every ounce of strength in your body. Take a hold of your responsibilities and take care of what it is you need to care of. Be a Man, do not be a boy. Be a Woman, not a girl. Happy liftin’
