Q: How can I be more helpful to my community?
I’m going to describe someone for you right now, and I want you to imagine them in your mind.
Physically strong, with a booming voice. Powerful, wielding a hammer forged by magical beings. A bit arrogant. And with the ability to command the powers of lightning and thunder.
If you’re a fan of movies, you might be imagining the mighty Thor Odinson of Marvel Comics (and Norse mythology before that). He is one of the most iconic superheroes. He’s been a major character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for over a decade, played by Chris Hemsworth, who I had the chance to speak with on Monday’s episode of the podcast.
Like all fictional superheroes, he has strengths, he has weaknesses, and he’s been through all sorts of extraordinary adventures.
But fictional superheroes aren’t all muscle and magic. They exhibit courage. They put their skills to use for the good of others. They work together, in teams.
Let’s do another round of imagining.
This time I want you to visualize someone who is courageous. Someone who serves their community. They might have huge muscles, they might not. But they’re certainly morally strong and take action to make the world a better place.
Who do you see in your head now?
What I’m describing is what you might consider a real-life superhero. Somebody you probably know and interact with on a regular basis.
“Superheroes” in the real world don’t zoom into different dimensions carried by a bolt of lightning. They enter communities and serve people in need.
They don’t punch evil aliens out of the sky. They stand up to bullies and acts of hate.
They don’t fly around in a high-tech spacecraft with talking raccoons or trees or robots. They work with other “ordinary” people who know the power of living their values and repeatedly doing what they know is right.
There are superheroes all around us. At our hospitals, in our schools, and at our community centers. You may live with one. You may work with one.
And you—yes, you—have the power to be one, too.
You can cultivate the courage to speak up to hate.
You can work with others to tackle big problems.
You can use your greatest strengths to serve communities in need.
You can even come up with a fun name for yourself and wear a cape if you want to. As long as your service comes from the heart, you’re on the right track.
Do you consider yourself a superhero?
On Purpose
As I mentioned above, I recently travelled to Australia to sit down with Chris Hemsworth, not the superhero the world knows, but the grounded, reflective man shaped by his childhood in the Australian outback.
Chris opened up about the pressure and anxiety he faced early in his acting career, and how the pursuit of excellence can slowly pull us away from inner peace if we are not paying attention. We explored the constant tension between ambition and presence. Preparation and surrender. Drive and stillness. And how lifelong friendships can act as an anchor when life accelerates. One of the most personal parts of our conversation centered on Chris’s father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. He shared how it reshaped his relationship with time, family, and legacy.
This conversation is about success, yes. But more than that, it is about staying human while living a very full life.
Listen on
If you want to feel inspired, learn practical tools, and hear powerful stories, follow and listen to On Purpose on Amazon Music, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
This December, On Purpose is part of #PodsFightPoverty—podcasts teaming up to lift three villages in Rwanda out of extreme poverty. We’re doing it through GiveDirectly*, which sends cash straight to families so they can choose what they need most. Donate at GiveDirectly.org/onpurpose. First-time donors will have their impact boosted by 50% with matching funds from Giving Multiplier. Our goal is $1 million by year’s end—enough to lift 700 families out of poverty. Join us at GiveDirectly.org/onpurpose.
Today’s Wiser Choice
Just like there are hundreds of different superheroes in the comics, there are so many different ways to be a superhero in real life.
Try This: Who are the people in your life that you think of as superheroes? They could be people you know personally, or international celebrities, or anybody in between. Have fun with your list, make it as long as you like.
When you have a solid list of heroes, start a separate list. This time, I want you to write down the qualities that make them super. What can you do in your life to embody those qualities yourself?
