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Be a superhero and save the world

Gal Gadot in a scene from “Wonder Woman.” (Clay Enos/Warner Bros. Entertainment via AP)

I am so tired of bad news. My phone bleeps me bulletins: another terrorist attack; numbers dead. E-mails ping on my computer detailing turmoil from across the globe. Televisions are everywhere, from bank lines to sports bars, recapping the ongoing fallout of governmental choices to our West and East. Then the front page and car radio disclose our own home-grown instability, division and heartbreaks.

Being constantly informed of the current state of the world, it surprises me we don’t all wither into dribbling wrecks of anxiety, mistrust and despair.

Am I alone in experiencing this overwhelming feeling of helplessness in the face of all this political bedlam, public strife and evidence of the depravity mankind is capable of? It often renders me paralysed but what could I, or any of us mere mortals, do to help or make it better? What can we possibly do to save the world?

What would Wonder Woman suggest? She’s the most recent superhero to swoop in and take on that job — if only on the big screen.

What tips would she give for making the world a better place? Lights, fanfare, spangley boots and a bustier? Bulletproof cuffs and great hair. What more do you need?

Spoiler alert! You see, despite the Lasso of Truth and some serious butt-kicking ability, Diana Prince (aka Wonder Woman) concludes at the end of her box office hit that “the only thing that can truly save the world is love”.

Awww! Shucks. How cute! A bit cheesy but it’s only a comic-book story after all.

But I say, why not? Violence and war don’t seem to be doing the trick, do they? Self-interest, avarice, domination and power-grubbing aren’t working either.

Consider for a minute … what if, instead of judgment, fear, blame, revenge, exclusion, division, grudges, agendas and valuation based solely in monetary terms, people were making choices and decisions from a place of love? What would that look like? What effect would that have?

The world is a big place but if every individual began making truly loving choices — even just starting with themselves — how might that affect the way they treat their bodies, feel about themselves, interact with their environment? If only, in every situation, we all asked a simple question: what is the loving thing to do?

What if we each went to work with love in our hearts — for the work we do, the people we work with, the customers we serve? If we treated neighbours and whomever else we came across in our day with loving kindness, if we brought love into our play, our art, our prayers, our communities, our leadership ... what a difference it would make. Think of great leaders. Those who led from a place of love are those who spring to mind.

It’s easy to call it naive or fantasy, to say it’s just not the way the world works, that loving kindness would be seen as weakness and taken advantage of by others not willing to do the same.

But what is the alternative? For everyone to remain egocentric and defensive, hoarding resources? Someone has to choose love first, in order for there to ever be a change, but that is the brave and courageous choice. That’s why it’s the choice of heroes.

Are you up for the challenge? Start small within your own life and community. Just keep choosing the loving choice, keep returning to love’s path when you go astray. Robert Holden’s book, ‘Loveability’, is a great treatise on the power of love if you are looking for inspiration.

Will it stop the bad news? Not entirely, but at least we are not helpless in the face of it and together we can hopefully turn the tide. Personally, I’m going to do what I can to tread the footsteps of those spangled boots — one small loving action at a time. Power stances and golden tiara are completely optional but I say, bring them on! Let’s save the world. And why not do it in style?

Julia Pitt is a trained success coach and certified NLP practitioner on the team at Benedict Associates. For further information contact Julia on 705-7488, www.juliapittcoaching.com.