This is part 2 of a series this week about Superheroes. Check out the previous parts of the series if you haven’t already read them:

Part 0: Be a Superhero
Part 1: Superhero 1 – Batman

Yesterday, we examined Batman. Today we’ll be taking a look at Spiderman. Spiderman is a super hero I like quite a lot, and there’s actually quite a lot we can learn from him, but I’ll just focus on 2 for today.

The first thing about Spiderman I want to point out is his Spidersense. His spider-sense is something that sets him apart, and personally, I think it’s one of the things that truly make him a great Superhero. Similarly, if you want to be a great superhero, you have to be really sensitive to what’s going on around you. You’ve got to be open to the changes around you and be able to sense what is happening faster than others. It’s a priceless skill.

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, is how Spiderman became a superhero. No, I’m not talking about how he got his powers. How he became a superhero. When he first got his powers, he wanted the fame and fortune, and just pursued the money. He wasn’t a superhero, just a celebrity with powers. He even allowed a thief to escape from a TV station, thinking it wasn’t his problem. That thief later went on to kill Spiderman’s uncle, and it was only then – when he realized he could have prevented his uncle’s death – that Spiderman put aside the fame and fortune and went to fight crime. It was only then that he truly became a superhero.

It’s not your powers that make you a superhero. You can have all the powers in the world, but if you don’t use them to make a positive impact on the world, you are no superhero. It’s only when you make the world’s problems your problems – when you take personal responsibility for what’s going around you – that you truly become a superhero. You need to personalize what you’re fighting for. That’s the only way you’ll truly believe in it, and that’s the only way you’ll truly become a great superhero.

There’s more I can point out about Spiderman, but I think I’ll stop here. So, just to recap.

Lesson 1: You don’t need special skills to be a superhero, you just need to make the most of what you do have. (from Batman)

and today’s lessons from Spiderman:

Lesson 2: Be sensitive to what is going on around you. Pay attention to what is going on in the world around, and respond accordingly.

Lesson 3: To be a superhero, you need to take personal responsibility for the problems around. Make the world’s problems your problems.

Are you taking note of your surroundings? And are you taking personal responsibility to make those surroundings better?