When you think about motivation you usually do not think about
superheroes. However I was inspired by Marvel’s big hit movie The Avengers.
The characters themselves were ones that made me think twice about what
motivated me in my life. Here are some things they taught me:
The Hulk – Be passionate.
Wow, the Hulk is full of passion, isn’t he? It just bursts from the
seams, so to speak. But in the movie he shared his secret to control. It was
not that he was never angry, but that he was always angry. He had just learned
when it was appropriate to set the anger free. In our lives we need passion to
be inspired and motivated. However some people mistake other emotions for
passion or let passion run out of control. Passion is only useful when it is channelled
in a productive direction. So remember to be passionate, but use that passion for
productive purposes.
Captain America – Stick to
what you know.
Even though the poor Captain is a leftover from yesteryear he still
remains a vital piece of the puzzle. Why is that? Because he does not try to be
someone he is not. Yes, he has some gaps in his knowledge but that does not
make him useless. Do not let yourself feel bad when you do not know or
understand something. Instead, use what you do know to keep going. Though other
people may not appreciate your input at first they will eventually see the
value in what you have to offer. You are never too old to be useful or too
young to be wise. Share from your personal experiences and no one can tell you
that you are wrong.
Iron Man – Do not be afraid
to be confident.
If there is one thing you can say about Tony Stark it is that he does
not lack confidence. In fact, he is a cocky, arrogant and self-centered pain in
the neck. However that does not make him unappealing. You see, the key to his
ability to still stay a good guy despite his faults is his confidence. He knows
what he can do and does it, no questions asked. While I do not recommend
imitating all his ways, you should strive to be confident in what you do. Even
when you are wrong confidence can still help you to make something successful
because people respect confidence.
Thor – Make friends
wherever you go.
He is a little rough around the edges and intimidating, but the big
blond Viking has a big heart. One of the things that makes me smile when I
think of Thor is his efforts to make friends with everyone, even his good for
nothing brother. He does not hold grudges or stay angry for long. Instead he
tries to see the best in people. If you go through life
expecting the worst out of people then that is what you will get. However if
you try to see the good in people then both your life and theirs will be much
happier. Some people will let you down, but try to stay positive and love those
around you despite their faults. After all, you are not perfect either.
Hawkeye – Keep your eye on
the target.
Archers seem to be a big thing in movies now. From Katniss in Hunger
Games to Disney’s animated princess in Brave, we love to watch their
arrows hit the bulls eye over and over again. That level of concentration and
dedication to practice is something to be admired. In your own life you should
also have goals. If you do not you will waste a lot of your time and energy on
things that do not really matter. Like an archer shooting three arrows without
aiming, working without a goal is fruitless. It is better to shoot one at a
time and aim for the center. That way you will actually hit something.
Loki – A little planning
can save a lot of effort.
Though Loki was the bad guy in the movie, he still had his good
attributes. One thing I admired about him is his ability to plan. He made the
most elaborate plans and took everything into consideration. He might not have
been the strongest or the fastest but he still almost won just by his ability
to plan. I know that I waste a lot of energy in my life because I do not take
the time to plan things out first. If you will just learn to take a few minutes
to plan before you start something new you will end up getting more done with
far less effort.
Black Widow – Have a thick
skin.
As the only woman superhero in the bunch you can bet that she knew how
to take a hit. Many women think that they are looked down on because of their
emotions. However Black Widow used her emotions to her advantage. She did not
let her emotions control her but rather used her control over them to her get a
leg up on the competition. Life will not always be fair. The less you let
people or things that go wrong hurt you the faster you can move on to something
more productive. Do not dwell in the hurts of the past but rather move on to a
brighter future.
Agent Coulson – Get the
facts.
For all the negative stereotypes of paper pushers out there we can still
admire them for one thing. They know how to get the facts. The will dig and dig
until everything comes to light. This is something that more people should do.
Getting to the facts is often overlooked in this age of fast information;
however the truth is always important. Whenever you have something that you are
sharing or something that you are unsure of try to get your facts verified
first. The more references you can count on the stronger your argument will be.
Nick Fury – Know when to
hold them, know when to fold them.
Timing is everything in life. You have to know when it is time to speak
and when it is time to stay silent. You have to know what an opportunity looks like when it
knocks. Fury was the king of good timing. He knew just what to say
and when to say it to motivate the superheroes to action. When you are working
with others try to be aware of your timing. Sometimes a simple idea can change
a whole group and other times it will be dismissed. It is all about timing.
Pepper Potts – Work harder
than everyone else.
Poor Pepper is used by her boss and ignored by just about everyone else,
but she does not let it get her down. She finds joy in her work and works
harder than anyone else. That work ethic eventually pays off. Just because you
are not getting the glory does not mean you should give up. In fact, use it as
incentive to work harder. When you are finally recognised everyone will be
shocked by what you have accomplished. Even if you are never recognised you can
still be satisfied by knowing you did your very best.
