The Darkness of a Superhero Part 1

No, this is not a post about Marvel or DC superheroes, so if that's what you were looking for, this is not the place.

The superheroes I want to discuss are those that inspire and watch over us, whether it be our managers or a mentor. Most of them are great people. However, they will always be a few rotten beasts hiding somewhere. They are the ones I want to discuss.

To make my writing easier to understand, whenever I say the word superhero, I am referring to role models, mentors, and other people that have influenced your lives.

Imagine yourself an intern at a company. You will be working for a high ranking official in that company. He is to watch over you, supervise you, and give you tips as to how to best solve problems. Sounds great? In most cases, yes, it is great. Consider this: he is not just supervising you. There's a catch to all of this. What he's doing is training you in a way so that you can one day replace him.

Does he want that? Of course not. So watch for him. He'll do everything possible to get rid of you. Now, on the bright side, if he gets promoted at the same time you do, then there's no need for him to harm you. This may not be the case when he's about to get fired and he knows it.

Alone? Not a Problem

So, you’re all alone? No one to help you practice a new language? No one to spar with you? No one to practice a duet with you? Not a problem, here is a list of simple ways to work with yourself and improve:

1) Talk to yourself.

This is especially good when you’re learning a new language. Sometimes, what you can do, is pick a random topic, and just talk about it. Think of it as an impromptu speech, except you’re speaking in a different language other than English. This method forces you to think of new vocabulary you’ve learned and their pronunciation.

2) Smart phones.

This is a really easy method that not many people utilize. Film yourself doing something. Then re-watch yourself afterwards. The benefit of this method is that you can watch and re-watch yourself. You can analyze every bit of detail and understand yourself to a different level.

3) YouTube

I can’t speak for other disciplines, but for martial arts, I have found some videos where somebody simulates padwork drills. Even when I’m alone, I can watch this video and do padwork with the person in the video. Even though this is not as effective as having a real person with you, it nonetheless is still better than not doing padwork.

What other ways do you use to improve yourself when you’re alone?

Musical Theory

The type of music you listen to and when you listen to it dictates a lot of things. Why does a certain song sound so amazing one day, but sound terrible the next? Sometimes, your mood and emotions play a critical role in how much you like a song.

When I felt depressed, listening to slow songs did not help. In fact, what helped me was listening to loud music. This created a sense of power within me. It resonated so strongly that it gave me strength. Fast forward to a week later when I felt awesome because I performed great on an exam. I listened to that loud music again, but I did not feel all that powerful. I simply skipped it on my playlist and listened to something else.

So, the next time you listen to music, consider what type of music might make your day extra special.