How to Be the Hero of Your Own Story
In last week’s blog post, I made reference to the 2016 graphic novel Dark Night: A True Batman Story, written by Paul Dini. I mentioned a quote at the end of the graphic novel that encourages us “to be the hero of our own stories.” Saying that is all fine and dandy, but how to we actually do that? Well, I have a few tips.
Make the Decision to Be the Hero
One of the keys to becoming the hero is deciding to become one. It is easy to say that you are a victim or just a minor character in the story of life, but taking the easy way out leads to mediocrity. You were not made for mediocrity; you were made for greatness. Choose to be the hero. Be someone who lives with the mindset of “I will not stand by and let life happen to me; I will take action.”
Take Action
A hero takes action. Bruce Wayne can put on the Batsuit all he wants, but until he leaves the Batcave and takes action, he is no hero. Batman needs to be out in the streets of Gotham City, fighting crime. Similarly, in order to become the hero of our own stories, we must take action. We must do the difficult things we need to do. Will they be hard? Probably, but that shouldn’t stop us. We can do hard things. It may sometimes be hard to know what action to take next, but you do not have to act alone.
Enlist a Sidekick or a Superfriend
Superheroes do not work alone. Even those who do claim to work alone (I’m looking at you, Batman), have help. Heroes have buddies. Batman has Robin to help him, as well as his butler, Alfred. Even Superman has help from others. He may be one of the most powerful beings on Earth, but he still teams up with the rest of the Justice League to save the world.
Who can be your ADHD sidekick or superfriend? Might I suggest a coach? A coach is not a boss but rather a partner in your journey to become the hero of your own story. They do not command you to go into battle, like a general; a coach rides into battle with you, helping you see what needs to be done.
While I am biased towards coaching, a coach is not the only way to team up in your battle to manage ADHD. You can team up with any number of professionals or even friends, family, and support groups. The point is: You do not have to go on your hero’s journey alone.