What does it mean to be a superhero? You may say it’s the ability to fly, or fight crime, or wear a bright costume. As someone who has grown up being obsessed with the idea of superheroes, I always thought of them this way. Now that I’m older, I look at superheroes and see the things that really make them super, and that’s not their powers or their costumes. It’s their character and personality traits they possess that any normal person can have. This has made me look back and see that superheroes have been influencing me my entire life, and I have developed some of my most important personality traits because of the heroes I grew up with.

Superheroes often have to make difficult choices while being strong and steadfast. Do they chase the bad guy, or save the hostage? They have shown me how important it is to be determined and sure of myself in everything that I do, and to trust myself if I think I’m doing the right thing. They have shown me time and time again that I shouldn’t doubt myself, and that I should be confident in what I do. If heroes bent to everyone else all the time, they wouldn’t be able to save the day. I won’t let anyone steer me wrong or control what I’m doing because ​​I have learned to remain confident in my opinions and true to myself.

Superheroes are always seen helping people and saving the day by stepping up, so you never think about the fact that superheroes could’ve chosen to do nothing. We see heroes with superpowers, so we assume that they have to help people with those powers. Watching heroes use their powers to help others has taught me that, if I have the ability to help someone, I have the responsibility to do so. It’s my job to step up and help others if I can, because I might be the only one with the power to do so. I’ve seen heroes take responsibility and become great leaders, and this has inspired me to take charge in my life and try to be the best leader I can. I strive to lead myself and others to success, and thrive off of accomplishing my goals.

One of the most important things I ever learned from superheroes is to love my differences and be true to myself. We see superheroes, with their amazing powers, and we idolize them for the things that make them unique. In the real world, however, people seem to fear their differences and hate the idea of standing out. Watching heroes be proud of who they are has shown me that I need to be confident in the little quirks that make me unique. I love heavy metal music, and Halloween, and reading, and superheroes, and no one will shame me or make me insecure about the things I love because I remain true to myself and love being different.

So, what does it mean to be a superhero? It’s not the powers, or the costumes, or the ability to fight. It’s the life changing things that they have taught me throughout my life. They have taught me to be confident and sure of my decisions. I am able to stay strong in my choices and not allow opposition to change my mind. They have taught me to help people whenever possible and step up to lead when it’s needed. They have taught me to love myself and celebrate my differences. I am one of the few people I know that doesn’t hate myself for being different from the masses, and I’m proud of how unique I am. What is a superhero? I like to think that I am, because I have grown to possess all the aspects of a superhero that really matter.