When Bruce Wayne’s parents are murdered in a dark alley, his life is forever changed by this tragedy. Bruce spends many years of his life and many of his resources to become Batman, the hero of Gotham City, to ensure that no one suffers the same fate he does. Similarly, when T’Challa witnesses the death of his father in Vienna, he elects to fight for his right to become the Black Panther, in order to protect the people of Wakanda from travesty and invasion.
Although these stories are fictional, they demonstrate how we may be able to use our origin stories to develop a narrative to become our version of a Superhero in real life (IRL).
Many people go through numerous losses, excruciating physical or emotional pain, and feelings of loneliness and alienation. Just like our favorite superheroes, or real life heroes, we too have an origin story. An origin story can be a memory of a terrible tragedy, an accident, or a moment when we have decided to make different choices.
Take a few moments to consider your own origin story. Do you remember a defining moment that shaped you? Or perhaps it was numerous moments, trying times, and experiences, which at the time felt unbearable?
Take some time to consider your origin story and write it down, so as to be able to reflect on it. See if you can write it without editing it, without censoring it, without trying to make it “sound good.” Write it for yourself, for your eyes.
Now take a few moments to identify a personal hero. This is someone you see as a figure of ultimate wisdom and compassion. This could be a real person, such as a grandparent, a teacher, a mentor, a star athlete you admire, a creator, or a historical figure you look up to. Or, it can be a fictional character, such as Dumbledore, Yoda, or Wonder Woman.
Think of what you may admire about your hero and write it down.
If you cannot think of a personal hero, that’s perfectly okay, see if you can think of a kind of hero you’d like to have or look up to. What kind of qualities would your hero have?
Now, take a few moments to imagine that you have some alone time with your hero. Your hero knows exactly what you have been through, what your origin story is, and how it has shaped you. Your hero is understanding, supportive, and encouraging. Your hero knows exactly what to say to you and what you may need to hear.
What would your hero say to you? Take a few moments to write it down.
If it is too difficult to think of what your hero may say, no problem. It happens to a lot of people. Take a breath. You can always try this exercise at another time.
Know this: what happens to us, our pain, our trauma history, our struggles with depression, anxiety, and other types of pain do not define us. They are our origin stories. It is up to us to decide whether we want to answer the hero’s call and how we want to continue the rest of our hero’s journey.
As for me, I want to leave you with this: you may have suffered. A deep, excruciating, unimaginable pain. Your pain is real. And you’re allowed to hurt. And you are also stronger, wiser, and more capable of understanding others than you previously could have been. At the moment that you feel your weakest, that is the moment that you have the access to your greatest strength.
I believe in you. I honor you. I am proud of you.
Janina Scarlet, Ph.D. is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, a scientist, and a full-time geek. A Ukrainian-born refugee, she survived Chernobyl radiation and persecution. She immigrated to the United States at the age of 12 with her family and later, inspired by the X-Men, developed Superhero Therapy to help patients with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. She has written multiple publications on this topic and has given talks domestically and internationally. She authored Superhero Therapy, Harry Potter Therapy, Therapy Quest, Dark Agents, and has contributed to a number of pop culture psychology books, such as Star Wars Psychology, Supernatural Psychology, Game of Thrones Psychology, and many others. Scarlet currently works as a clinical psychologist at the Center for Stress and Anxiety Management in San Diego, CA.
If you would like to learn more about Superhero Therapy, contact Dr. Janina Scarlet on Twitter, Facebook, or Patreon.
