Superman has always been one of my favorite superheroes growing up. Let’s face it, everyone wants to be a hero. Superman was the embodiment of a hero who was able to do it all, whether it was lifting that 10,000-lb truck or flying from one place to another in a blink of an eye.

When I was a child, I seriously dreamed of becoming just like Superman. As I grew older, though, this dream diminished as society told me that superheroes aren’t real and that Superman was just a made-up character.

However, deep down, there was still this little voice always telling me to keep that dream alive.

I never thought the day would come when my love for Superman would be revived. Funny how all it took was one movie and a few meaningful realizations. Yes, you guessed it right—the “Man of Steel” movie rekindled that little flame deep inside me.

Takeaways

Here are a few takeaways of mine from “Man of Steel” that everyone who grew up dreaming of becoming Superman one day cannot miss.

We are all here for a reason. Clark Kent was sent to earth by his parents for a reason. Although it took him quite some time to find out who he really was and why he was on earth, his parents sent him for a reason. He didn’t really know what this reason was and what his purpose in life was at the start, but he was willing to explore and find out. Heck, Superman isn’t even his real name, it’s Kal-El.

“You are my son. But somewhere out there you have another father, and he sent you here for a reason. And even if it takes you the rest of your life, you owe it to yourself to find out what that reason is,” said Jonathan Kent to his son Clark, aka Kal-El.

Just like Superman, we’re all on earth for a reason. You might not know what this reason is or your purpose in life now, but you and I know it isn’t by accident that you’re alive now reading this article. You may feel confused and lost at times, but stay strong. We all have our role in making this world a better place.

Just as human

This role won’t just be served us on a silver platter, though. We have to find it ourselves. But how do we find it?

Take a leap of faith. The alpha-superhero that he is, Superman was just as human as the rest of us. He was, at one point, confused, unsure about his identity, what to do, and whom to trust. But he took a leap of faith.

It’s not easy. We are inherently afraid of what we do not understand. We’re scared of what is uncertain.

However, to find our purpose in life, to know who we truly are, we must step out of our comfort zone and take that leap of faith. We must venture into the unknown, knowing that doing so will help us find our identity.

So what else is stopping you from taking that leap of faith? Is it peer pressure? Societal norms you must adhere to?

But why can’t we be different? Why can’t we aspire for something greater than what society expects from us?

“What if a child dreamed of becoming something other than what society had intended? What if a child aspired to something greater?” That’s Jor-El speaking, the biological father of Superman.

Something greater

Don’t let society stop you from becoming who you truly are and from aspiring for greatness. Superman could have easily remained Clark Kent his entire life. He could have chosen to refrain from using his powers. He could have chosen to be just another normal kid—but he didn’t.

Clark Kent aspired for something greater. He wanted to make a difference in the world. He wanted to use his abilities for the betterment of humanity.

How was he able to do it? He accepted himself and he didn’t let society stop him from striving for greatness and becoming Superman.

As Jonathan Kent told Clark: “You’re not just anyone. One day, you’re going to have to make a choice. You’ll have to decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be. Whoever that man is, good character or bad, he’s going to change the world.”

You will have to make a similar choice one day. Remember, don’t let society make that decision for you. Decide for yourself and change the world!

Watching “Man of Steel” showed me that my dream to become just like Superman is not dead yet. I’ve realized that we can all become heroes or, better yet, superheroes, in our own unique ways.

David Ongchoco is a high-school senior at Xavier School. He is a consistent first-honors student, member of the varsity basketball and debate teams, and head of the student council’s Green Team committee. He is also very much into community work through his involvement with Hands On Manila and as president of the Interact Club of St. Francis Xavier. In a classic case of turning adversity into opportunity, David applied as a 2bU correspondent while recuperating from a torn ACL suffered in May 2013. He spends his free time chilling out with friends, reading books, and blogging about anything under the sun.