Take Pride In What You Do

Things worth doing take effort.  Real, concerted, substantial, effort.

If things in life all came easy everyone would be a triple university graduate, with millions in their bank accounts and slam dunk basketballs while hitting a home run and scoring on a breakaway.

The effort you put into things is what is required to get the reward at the end.  That reward can be physical, mental, academic or even the high score on Tetris in a long standing back and fourth competition with your dad (that’s a whole other post though).

This premise is even more important I think in a group dynamic where many people are looking to achieve the same end result, possibly at the same time but not necessarily. If everyone is putting in time and effort and one person does not, should it even be plausible that the one gets the same reward in the end?  I think it is unfair to receive the same outcome if I’m not willing, or even able, to put in the same effort as everyone else.  It is an unfair position to put the powers that be in to ask that question, and it is unfair to all the people that are working hard to get to their goal.

I understand that things happen that may in one circumstance or another prevent someone, at no fault of their own, from reaching a goal.  But really how satisfied could you be to be handed something while skipping out on half the work when everyone around you who has achieved the same goal had to do weeks of extra work – the required amount of work really.  And not only that, but to be upset about being denied the possibility of that is hurtful to everyone else that is putting in the effort and commitment.

Take pride in the effort you are putting forward, it is that kind of attitude that gets you places in the end.

A Basic Guide to Superheroes Part II

If you have not yet read Part I, do so here.

The Flash

There has been three guys as The Flash as well, the guy I think of when I think of The Flash is Wally West (for others it will be Barry Allen).  I think Wally comes to mind because that’s who was The Flash when he was on the mid-90’s Superman cartoon.  Basically The Flash runs really freaking fast, so fast it causes whirl winds and he can run across water and vibrate his way through solid objects (I think that’s a new power).  Main villains include Gorilla Grod, Mirror Master and The Weather Wizard.

The Green Lantern

There are Many Green Lanterns, from all over the universe (also many other coloured Lanterns it turns out), the Green Lantern of the Title has been a few different guys, but most people think Hal Jordan when they think Green Lantern.  He was a test pilot, found a dying Green Lantern that had crashed on earth and got hold of the Green Lantern ring.  The ring basically gives you the power to make real whatever you imagine through like solid light or something.  Want to beat eggs?  Imagine a blender and there it is, how about deflecting bullets?  Imagine a shield.  Want to take down a girl’s number but there is no writing surface to keep your pen from poking through the only scrap paper you have?  Imagine a desk.

The Green Arrow

Oliver Queen is from Star City and is super rich and inventive like Bruce Wayne is.  Of what I know of the Green Arrow Ollie ended up getting stranded on an island by some corporate pirates or something, he developed his bow shooting skills and athleticism in order to catching things to eat and stay away from predators respectively.  He has all kinda of arrows, ones that explode, ones with nets on them and ones with boxing gloves on them even.  He has a sidekick, Speedy.

Black Canary

I’ve only seen Black Canary on Batman the Brave and the Bold a few times, and I don’t know much other than she yells really loud and that’s her super power. Easy on the eyes too.

Captain Marvel

The whole reason I did these two posts.  The Big Red Cheese was originally a Marvel Comics character and DC was like ‘What the hell? Could you rip off Superman any more?” Lawsuits ensued and now Captain Marvel is a DC guy.  He’s kind of cool though, typically he’s just a boy, Billy Batson, and after meeting a wizard is granted the Abilities of gods when he says a magic word.  SHAZAM. Lightning comes down and strikes him transforming him from a boy to Captain Marvel, he says it again to call down lightning and change back.

S - for the endless wisdom of Solomon
H - for the legendary strength of Hercules
A - for the stamina and might of Atlas
Z - for the overwhelming power of Zeus
A - for the courage and invulnerability of Achilles
M - for the peerless speed and power of flight of the god Mercury

My first introduction to Captain Marvel was in Kingdom Come, a fantastic story.  Totally worth a read.

A Basic Guide to Superheroes Part I

As many people know I am a fan of many different superheroes.  I was wearing a Flash t-shirt the other day that was mistaken for a Captain Marvel logo as the person commented “Shazam!”

Amber often stares at me puzzled as I explain that there have been three different Robins, or describe who the Green Lantern is.

So here is a very basic guide to the superheroes that I like, this information is not to be taken as definitive as I am sure someone is going to comment or email that I have some detail or another wrong due to some mega-comic event.

Batman

 

Batman is my personal favourite.  Billionaire Bruce Wayne, saw his parents gunned down in front of him as a child.  He then vows to be a scourge on crime so that others don’t suffer the same fate.  Years of education, training and general commitment to learning anything and everything enable him to be Batman.  I think I like Batman best because he’s just a guy, with drive and resources.  He’s got a cool car and a penchant for putting “Bat” in front of all his gadgets (Batmobile, batarang, Batplane, Batcave etc…)

Robin

Robin is Batman’s sidekick, originally it was Dick Grayson, who the general populace knows as Robin, he was on the old Adam West TV show, and the horrid Joel Schumacher Batman movies (Batman Forever and Batman & Robin).  Eventually Dick grew up and moved on to become Nightwing.  Taking his place as Robin was Jason Todd.  Everyone and their dog hated Jason as Robin.  Fans voted that he should die, and so The Joker killed him, brutally, as is his way.  Then Tim Drake took up being Robin, and finally Robin wore pants.

Nightwing

As mentioned Dick Grayson got tired of playing second fiddle to Batman and became his own superhero.  In the style of Batman he’s a great detective, beats the tar out of people twice his size and is generally awesome.  Dick has even had a few stints being Batman.

Superman

Comes from Krypton originally named Kal-El, goes by Clark Kent when not in his long undies, lifts heavy things, flies, punches things.  Seriously, if you don’t know what Superman’s deal is, get out from under your rock.

Some people think Batman and Superman are friends, even Superman.  From what I have read, they are not, Batman actually doesn’t really like Sups and thinks he’s a big tool.

Wonder Woman

Apparently there is going to be a new live action Wonder Woman TV show, that should be nifty, I hope.  Now WW wears a leather jacket and generally looks a bit more threatening.

She’s an Amazon, from Themyscira, an island of only women.  Her powers are magical (which means she can whup Superman if need be), her lasso makes you tell the truth and she has an invisible plane.

Part II later.

Leadership

How do you become a leader?  When do you become one?  Why?

This is a difficult topic I think as there are many different styles and types of leadership.  Over the last few years I’ve been put into a few roles that have required me to show leadership in a variety of different situations.  Some of these roles are very explicit, meaning whoever I am leading is looking right at me while I do it.  Other times the leadership my be expressed in a more subtle manner.

At karate I was informed of my leadership role long before I sought to have one.  Pete and I were given sampei rank and black stripes on our belts and then stood at the front of class while everyone was told that we were the guys to look up to.  Pressure?  Yeah just a bit and it took me a while to come to terms with that situation and do something about it for myself. 

Why was I put in that position?

I think it has to do with an understanding, that leading is not the same as commanding.  For one to lead, the followers must do so of their own free judgement and not to avoid punishment or work.  A good leader can get others to do work simply because they are convinced they like to do it.  Sure there are exceptions to that, but in general I think it applies very well.  When I am leading something at karate I try to make it fun, fast and informative.

At school is another place I’ve been put in a leadership role, this time around at least.  My first time through school I was not a leader at all.  A lack of experience, confidence and work ethic saw to that.  This time however, through the lessons learned in other life experiences, I am.  During our toddler program in 3rd semester I was put into the role of Team Leader.  It is a delicate position to be put into when you have to critique people that are your friends especially in this case because its all about personal style.  I think I did well providing feedback to my team members.  It was definitely the experiences at Karate that helped me with this.

I think you become a leader when you stop looking for it an just go about doing what you are supposed to be doing effectively and efficiently, offering help to people who need it.  Knowing when to speak up and when to keep quiet helps too.  At karate for sure I never asked when promotions would be, I never even asked to teach, but to paraphrase a friend I just ‘do what I do”.  It’s then that people recognize you are someone worth looking up to, that you get your work done and are willing to help out those that are working hard too.

Not everyone is cut out to be in front of a group leading, it does take a lot of getting used to that is for sure.  But showing leadership isn’t the same for everyone either.  you can lead vocally, or just by example.  Everyone has the capacity to lead in one way or another, it’s just a matter of taking hold of the opportunities.