Just to be sure we're all on the same page before beginning today's thought experiment: Kryptonite strips Superman of his power. Spinach helps Popeye surmount challenges. Ready?
Put aside the hyperbole. Avoid being overly literal. And remember: We all have at least one Superman-like superpower, something exceptional that has been in us from the start. If that premise strikes you as immodest, forgive me in advance, but stay engaged long enough to tell me about your kryptonite and your spinach. I'll go first, of course. Been at this blogging thing for almost fifteen years; I know the deal.
The kryptonite that can strip me of my energy - my superpower - is apathy. I realize I'm giving away too much by feeling low when people don't respond enthusiastically to my energy. Knowing that and dealing with it well in the moment continues to be a battle for me.
My spinach is the innate goodness I see in many people I meet. I'm not naive. Nor am I oblivious to cruelty, hate, and injustice. But I am able to surmount challenges easier knowing I'm bound to soon run across another kind and gracious person.
Please join me.
Interesting question. As a writer, my kryptonite is self-doubt. Worrying too much about what readers might fight dull, trite, sappy, etc. This slows down my progress, especially in early drafts when I need to get a bunch of things down on the page to flesh out a story. Most pieces go through multiple rewrites, so a lot of the things that hold me back can be edited out later, so I wish I could find a way to tamp down that self-doubt in the early stages.
ReplyDeleteMy spinach is laughter and its gorgeous younger sibling, a smile -- yours, mine, everyone's. Often a simple smile from a stranger can turn my day around. One of the things that has struck me about Trump is that while he smiles a lot (though quite often it is a smug or contemptuous smile), he never laughs, except perhaps at others. From him, there never seems to be that sudden burst of joy that catches a person off guard and makes him throw his head back and laugh. A few months ago I was talking to my godson, who was worried about what to say to his grief-stricken girlfriend whose grandmother had just died. I counseled him on the importance of empathy, simply asking her a lot of questions about her grandmother as a way to show he cared. He thanked me and said that seemed like good advice. Then I said, "Now, the first thing you want to ask her is, Did your grandmother leave you any money?" His sudden burst of laughter carried both of us through the rest of the day.
Jim; Thanks for your honest and comprehensive comment. I hoped at least one person might stroll into this confession booth with me. Also: I share parts of your kryptonite as well as seeing clearly how your spinach would be helpful if most situations.
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