So long and thanks for saving the day

"We couldn't have done it without you."

The hero looked winsome, then walked away and did not look back.

Have you ever been told you were indispensable? What are the things that your friends, colleagues, family, or classmates wish they could do as easily as you or say that they couldn't have done without you? 

Are you strong? 

Quick? 

Brave? 

Handy with tools? 

Efficient with tech? 

A good listener? 

Long on endurance? 

Good at explaining things? 

A problem-solver?

Perhaps you are a good cook, an artist, or have a green thumb. I am grateful for my gifts. I'm able to share them and they make my life easier and more pleasurable in the places in which I have them in abundance. 

Have you ever heard the term, "a debt of gratitude"? To whom would you owe a debt of gratitude for your gifts? Would it be your parents, yourself for your hard work in attaining them, your school for teaching them, or sheer luck? 

There is no debt in gratitude! It's an incongruent concept because honestly, gratitude is in abundance. I'm intensely grateful when I receive help in the areas in which I'm not so efficient! I'm also grateful for the gifts I have in plentitudes by inheritance - easy strength, courage, tenacity, oodles of creative energy, and an ability to understand music, art, culinary arts, plants, and herbs. I'm also grateful to have trained and honed my artistic and performance skills extensively as well as worked to improve my understanding of policy writing and governance and speak at a high level in a boardroom.

Who's your favorite hero or heroine, real or fictional, legendary or local, and what do they stand for? I've brought Wonder Woman to my mind. You may not be surprised, or you may scoff. If you do scoff, ask yourself your rationale. Do humans still have value even when we do not suffer in our youth? Wonder Woman is possibly the most altruistic superhero(ine) of our time; her upbringing is simple, bold, and pure. She has no vendetta and no inner wound to heal, only those childhood curiosities of her true self and power.

When I think of Diana of Themyscira, not only do I think of Altruism but also of Valor, Compassion, Determination, Perseverance, Honesty, and Accountability. What this says about me is that I value these virtues, too, and they are part of what I stand for. Since I identify with these virtues and honor them, I have attributes in line with them.

I am determined and I persevere - I'll always make it to the finish line or get it done, no matter how painful or awful. I'm also brave - if I'm scared, I'll tend to try it anyway, I'll take the steps to get past the fear. If someone else is scared - injury, snake, spider, birth - I'll be there, I'll offer to do the heavy lifting. And I'm compassionate. I know there's a story at the start of every monster and I'll listen long and forgive. 

So think of a big hero that you really admire and ponder their virtues. Are they virtues that you stand for and abide by, even if, at the end of the day, you faltered a little in upholding that virtue? Do any of these virtues influence what you are good at or how you show up in the world?

Tell me about your gifts and also your virtues and how you show up in the world. Leave these in the comments. Comments help keep this blog alive so I can keep delivering content. Thanks!