You are an Overcomer

We're all put into special groups to classify and put us into specific places; sometimes we do this to ourselves, other times society decides where we belong and we listen. Many times, these classifications ultimately divide us and we believe the lies that they tag us with.

A teenage girl believes she isn't skinny or pretty enough to be a model; a young boy who dreams of having the opportunity to play basketball is rejected and believes he isn't good enough to try out for the team the next year; a fresh college graduate receives no calls back from his extensive interviews and begins to question his purpose. Divisions between, "us and them," the privileged and underprivileged, the rich and poor, the skilled and unskilled, the blacks and whites - the list can go on and on. These false divisions hinder equality and limit self-betterment. In extreme circumstances, such false divisions lead to inhumanity and global atrocities such as the Jewish Holocaust or the Rwandan Genocide. It is our responsibility to overcome these partitions each and every day.

Jay Smooth, speaker and radio personality, explained the concept of the dental hygiene paradigm in a ted talk (which may be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbdxeFcQtaU). The dental hygiene paradigm states that change of thinking and intent doesn't happen in one single sitting; instead, we must keep up daily with brushing our teeth, showering, and more. 

Change - lasting, meaningful change - is the same way. It must be a conscious choice every day. In overcoming the false divisions we may be placed in, we should pursue erasing them every day through conscious action. It may be such simple an act as standing before a mirror and stating, "I'm better than this" - because you are. You are better than what anybody can label you to be. You are an overcomer. 

A Hero.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. From Batman and Captain America (my personal favorites) to your friendly neighborhood mailman. Superheroes such as the afformentioned are commonly known to be heroes; by the dark of night they rescue helpless damsels in distress and bring justice to an unjust society. Sounds like the life, right? Living as a comfortable, million-dollar bachelor by day and quickly changing into skin-tight spandex and flowing cape by night? Children dream of fulfilling such a destiny and if we are all being honest, don't adults too? We want to make a difference. We want to bring justice. We want to mean something to the world. And most of all, we just want an excuse to wear our underwear on the outside of our spandex.

But what about those friendly neighborhood mailmen? Or that janitor that keeps the place clean so the rest of the workplace can function? What about the teachers that face the frontlines everyday to nurture the kids that dream of being the superheroes of the future? This is where true superheromanship is displayed. In terms of real world heroes, we might look at sports stars that set good examples, musicians that donate 'x' amount of dollars to a charity, or actors and actresses that travel to third-world countries; while these are all respectable and positive examples, heroes are revealed in all ways. In truth, heroes are displayed by actions, but superheroes are exemplified by their heart.