Stan Lee thinks superhumans are genetically mutated humans with astonishing abilities—superheroes, in every sense of the word. But breaking down “superhuman” into its two root words gives a simpler concept, defined as “more than or above human.” Any of us can become superhuman, not just those that hit the luck of the genetic lottery.
Becoming superhuman, to me, means living a life that’s greater than that of an average person. I think my first step into this world came in 2001, when I started tricking. At the time, I could barely cartwheel. Every trick seemed impossible. But after years of practice, my walls of possibility pushed further and further. Granted, I was far from the best. The important part, however, was that I kept going, eventually building myself into something I never imagined being.
Call it enlightenment, but this entire experience changed the way I walk in the world. Breaking tricking barriers showed me that I was capable of something more than I dreamed possible. Basil William Maturin in his book, Self-Knowledge and Self-Discipline, describes this perfectly:
And yet the man who has caught but a momentary glimpse of that vast unknown inner life can never be the same as he was before; he must be better or worse, trying to explore and possess and cultivate that unknown world within him, or trying—oh, would that he could succeed!—to forget it. He has seen that alongside of, or far out beyond the reach of, the commonplace life of routine, another life stretches away whither he knows not, he feels that he has greater capacities for good or evil than he ever imagined. He has, in a word, awakened with tremulous awe to the discovery that his life which he has hitherto believed limited and confined to what he knew, reaches infinitely beyond his knowledge and is far greater than he ever dreamed.
That attitude has since stuck with me. Tricking is a game. It taxes not only the physical but also the mental, emotional, and spiritual confines of your mind. It’s forever struggling with the conception of possibility.
When I shifted from tricking to fitness in 2005, I took that mentality with me during a body recomposition expedition. Truthfully, I couldn’t imagine being “fit,” just like I couldn’t imagine doing fancy flips, kicks, and twists. But I pushed through and accomplished the recomp. Somehow. And even now, as I quest towards a lean 225 pounds, I have my doubts. But I should know better. This superhuman mindset follows me and has since rolled over into nearly every aspect of my life. Being average isn’t good enough. It never has been.
Even though I went to college have an average job and live an average life, higher powers had other plans I guess. After six months of teaching, I was furloughed. No job prospects lived. Once again, I pushed for something I felt was out of my reach in writing for fitness magazines. And then later, writing an eBook: An Athlete’s Guide to Chronic Knee Pain (which, by the way has gotten such a positive response that I can’t tell you how much it warms my heart).
THE WORLD OF REDBULL
If you ever took a look at my about page, you would see that I declared love for RedBull. Yet I only drank RedBull twice in my life. The first time was before my high school talent show (my friends and I tricked—it wasn’t a good showing). The second time was with an abundance of Jägermeister, subsequently leading to a night of bad decisions.
I don’t love RedBull because of the beverage itself. I love RedBull because of the brand. I love how they took the concept of “wings” and expanded its meaning to include doing superhuman things and living a superhuman life. So when you hear, “Welcome to my world, the world of RedBull,” you know something off the wall is about to happen.
BE SUPERHUMAN
Don’t discount your ability to be superhuman. Ever.
I’m not the best trickster. But you better damn believe I’ve poured my heart out on the grass and landed on my neck a few times trying new moves. I’m not the strongest person. But you better damn believe I’ve struggled under the bar. Hell, I’m not even a coach anymore. But you better damn believe I work hard at perfecting my writing craft, experimenting, and learning to continue my career. I’m not a millionaire. But you better damn believe I have enough confidence to think I’ll have more than enough money while simultaneously doing work I love. I’m not the most well rounded person in the universe. I struggle making eye contact with strangers. But you better damn believe I’m always striving to become above average.
So I’m not superhuman. But you better damn believe I’m working on it.
A GOOD START
The Art of Manliness, one of my favorite blogs, gives some superhuman insight:
Becoming superhuman involves reaching for ever greater heights in all areas of our lives: physical, mental, moral, and spiritual.
The average man spends his days as a sedentary lump; the superhuman man strives to keep himself in peak physical condition.
The average man rarely cracks open a book after college; the superhuman man is dedicated to lifelong learning, constantly feeding his mind with books, magazines, and newspapers and studying a wide variety of topics.
The average man cheats and fudges here and there; the superhuman man makes his word his bond and lives every day with integrity.
The average man is content with surface pleasures and material goods; the superhuman man explores the greater depths of life through meditation or prayer.
From the top of my head, here are my additions. Feel free to add your own insights in the comments section. I’ll gladly include what deserves to make the cut as I want this list to grow.
The average man has no emotion or meaning in his work. The superhuman strives to find more meaning and enjoyment in his work.
The average man is afraid of escaping comfort zones. The superhuman knows life begins where comfort zones end.
The average man is afraid of authority and making eye contact with those he talks to. The superhuman knows his worth and looks everyone in the eye.
The average man lies to get out of binds. The superhuman would rather tell the truth than live with the burden deception.
The average man settles. The superhuman strives to reach his peak in every aspect of life and is always learning and growing.
The average man dreams. The superhuman acts.
What are your strengths? Weaknesses? What can you do to become superhuman? What can you work on starting tomorrow to live a happier life?
FINDING YOUR ESSENCE
Aspiring writers and bloggers e-mail me occasionally. Their most common concern is that they don’t know what to write about. Most times I tell them not to worry, and just write. And I can do this confidently because, well, that’s exactly what I do. I open up Evernote and let things go.
But I think the concern is more about getting lost in the shuffle. They want to know how to stand out. How to get noticed. It’s not an easy question to answer. For six months the amount of views on my blog was paltry. But I didn’t care. I was just getting my thoughts out there. Even to this day, I don’t often look at my little Jetpack Plug-In.
For anyone that’s followed me for a respectable amount of time, you know that I bounce around a lot. Truthfully, I feel I’m as lost in the shuffle as any shuffler can be lost.
When I first started blogging, I was still focused on my coaching and teaching career. Blogging was a side interest. Getting paid to write was a fantasy. So most of my content was suited to athletes and coaches alike. For instance, I had a huge four part series about strength imbalances. My swagger was that of hate and disdain for the fitness industry. Over time, I met and talked to some integral people and my attitudes and beliefs shifted. I’m more humble that I have ever been and more respectful of everyone in the industry. But like a lot of aspiring bloggers and writers, I’ve always felt lost because I’m ever-changing. I began as a cocky coach that thought everyone should be forced to read Supertraining and like-texts. Slowly, I evolved into a humble writer that has no problem admitting deriving more enjoyment from eating chalk than reading Supertraining. (I should note, however, that I did read it and did learn, so I don’t regret it.) But I just can’t get enough of it and my respect grows daily for everyone within the industry.
Almost every night, I ask myself what I can be doing better. And when my alarm clock goes off the next morning, I try implementing whatever it was that ended up in my sketchnotes. That’s why I update the about section countless times. It’s all about the people that read this blog, and what I can do to make their stay better. When I find something that I really like, I run with it. The way I see it, I’m just amassing bricks on my house.
You don’t try to build a wall. You don’t set out and say ‘I’m gonna build the biggest, baddest, greatest wall that has ever been built’. You say ‘I’m going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid’. You do this every single day, and soon you have a wall.
- Will Smith
But with that, I think a lot of people that try to get involved in the online space try being someone they aren’t. Look, if you don’t coach that’s fine. Just own it. Some people may discount your voice, but others won’t. Nerd Fitness is a great example of this. On Steve’s about page, he has this bolded: I am NOT a fitness expert.
Be yourself and do great things. Everyone wants to hear from those that do great things. But the moment you fraud is the moment you lose. Charlie Sheen tells everyone he does drugs and when he gets caught doing drugs, everyone loves him. Tiger Woods portrays a saint and savior, and when he cheats on his wife he’s the devil.
As trite as it sounds, if you’re wondering what kind of person to portray in the online space, you’re failing. Portray yourself.
As far as what kind of things you should write about, think about your essence. Essence, as described by Steve Jobs, is something that, if not fulfilled causes sadness. Essence drove the success of Toy Story. The creators of the movie believed all toys had one singular essence: they wanted to be accepted and loved by a child. Without their essence, their existence is incomplete.
So if you don’t know what to write about, find your essence. If taken away, what would make you incomplete?
As a self reflection, I think it’s time to own up to who I am. I’m not an “in person” coach anymore. I’m a writer and online coach—just a guy that’s striving to live each day better than the previous one by pushing the boundaries that are arbitrarily conceptualized by the confines of my mind.
And my essence? Well, I think I’ve found it: become superhuman. Truly, I’m not sure if I have a choice. As Basil William Maturin mentioned, I saw the light. I know what it’s like on this side. And I’m not sure if I can go back. Will you join me?
very inspiring anthony.i always face this problem of not having any idea whenever i want to write.i guess to a certain extent everyone needs some soul searching.at the same time i always feel im not warranted to comment on a particular topic because i am not a fitness expert.Then i will that i am one of those internet so called experts bashed by some famous trainers.
It is also awesome to see how great minds like you are also able to open up to changes.would it be true to say that that is the consequence of having an open mind?
Probably. I think it’s more of just being OCD about things and wanting everything to run perfectly haha, but having an open mind and being open to change definitely makes it tough to settle into a defined state of “self.”
See, as an overthinker, I always worry about labelling myself a “superman” or striving to become the Ubermensch. This is on account of it always reminding me of Nietzsche and his transhumanism (as Chesterton said, folks in his school of philosophy were like a nurse who found bitter food that a baby wouldn’t eat; so she decided to keep the food and throw the baby out a window.) And being a student of linguistics, literature, and history by trade and inclination, I have a really strong affect for how word choice matters.
But there is definitely something to be said for boldly going where no man has gone before–or at least where I, as a man, haven’t gone. I think the shame of modern “humanist” thinkers is that they tacitly subscribe to the naturalistic fallacy, and decide that whatever humans do is good. Whereas I go from more of a Renaissance ideal–men are just a little less than angels, but they have to work relentlessly to explore and develop every talent and resource at their disposal.
When we look at a Leonardo da Vinci or a Miyamoto Musashi and think they were supermen, it really just goes to show what a sad, limited view we really have of men. That which is extraordinary (a word I prefer over superhuman, maybe just because it sounds better with my accent) could be ordinary, if ordinary men weren’t complacent. But this should make us more reverent of our fellows–for we all have the stuff of legend in us, if we’re willing to tap into it and lay those daily bricks. I fear there’s the seed of arrogance and haughtiness in seeking superhumanity, which entails necessarily a kind of supremacy.
We do ourselves, our neighbors, and our creator a disservice by striving to be “superhuman”; this implies that in order to become excellent, we must transcend or slough off humanity. When in fact, I would submit that attaining the highest forms of excellence in life make us more human. There’s few things more beautiful under God’s hot sun than to see a human being fully realized and 100% alive in himself, as he was meant to be.
I think it’s more about where you, as a person, has never gone. Like you said, “we all have the stuff of legend in us.” That’s what it’s all about. So I think you’re getting caught up in the word too much. I don’t see it as a supremacy, I just see it as living a life worth living.
So I think it’s just you see superhuman as a fully realized human. I agree. Terminology.
Yup! I agree with your aims, it’s just my nature to get caught up in the word choice. I really think it’s just the English major in me that groans when I hear someone refer to something a person did as a “superhuman feat of strength.” I realize it’s hyperbole, but I still grumble about how it’s self-contradictory.
Incidentally, a really good Greek word for the quality and lifestyle you’re seeking is “Arete”. There’s a pretty good Wiki stub on it. I think it’s a trait we should all strive daily to acquire.
Inspiring food for thought. Reading about your journey makes me more motivated to continue my own. I’m only on month 4 of blogging and feel like I’ve figured an awful lot out already. There are many more months in a year… many more years in a lifetime… and a lot of growth can happen in this time. Keep growing, keep learning, keep rocking. The big thing I’ve learned is to not worry about how people perceive me. Yeah–I want people to like me–but I want to be the individual I am. If people like it, great. If not, they can read someone else’s blog. Change should come as a result of personal growth and reflection, not someone else’s opinion of us. The words started flowing more easily when I stopped worrying about this.
Hey man, GREAT post.
I really connected with it because it’s exactly how I feel.
When you talked about Redbull and the meaning behind their “wings”, although I never payed attention to it, I also love other brands that have that same type of thing. Heck, I just started a t-shirt businesses solely based around that same concept. I put my ENTIRE struggle, dreams, and story in 3 words.
PROVE THE IMPOSSIBLE and my tagline (which I think I will stick to) is Live Life By Your Own Rules.
The message: That when you life hits you hard time and time again and you’re down. When you think you’re lost. When you think that you can’t do what you love. When you think that the only way you can make it in life is by following the rules and struggling through the “system”. When you think that all your dreams are just unrealistic and impossible to reach, you take a step back, look deep within yourself and dig up the courage to take on the world. You realize that you will not give up. Bringing out that “warrior from within” and keep fighting and prove to yourself that yes you can do it because is what you love and believe in and you will make it because you said so. You just DECIDED and you’re going all the way with it and doing things your way.
That’s my entire belief, which you helped me with a long time ago when I first asked you about blogging, thank you for that.
I market it as a message. A movement where if you join, you represent the few “dreamers” who take action.
I don’t care if if the business becomes successful but the entire business itself motivates me to never quit and I want other people to feel that way. Sort of like my own RedBull haha.
And I can attest to what you said about blogging. After you helped me out and let me realize that the main point is just to write, you’ll eventually find yourself. Writing about you. The blog becomes about you and people come because of you. The information is pretty much all the same but what differentiates one blog or the other is the personality behind it.
After talking to you, I started working on a new blog post series called The Strength Coach’s Guide To Energy System Training For Combat Athletes Part 1 – The Basics. I wrote it mostly for myself to help myself full understand energy system training while also helping out people who also had the same questions I had to you back then. That one blog post helped me SO much. First 2k + post, it looks so much better. When I went back to it, it was the very first time I was actually impressed with myself. To me, it almost sounded like some other coach wrote it and I’m just there thinking “Did I actually write this all by myself? Wait wait…I actually know all of this? WTF? I actually know my stuff” I might have made a mistake or two and got confused somewhere but it was my most favorite blog post ever. I find it even hard to go to part 2 and making it just as good. In all honesty, the blog is not ground breaking or anything close but it was to me as I developed into a coach and writer.
It made me feel complete writing about what I love most, combat sports.
My essence?: Being a warrior.
And that was how I always wanted my blog to be. To have this warrior feeling. I don’t even remember why I didn’t make it that way from the very beginning but now I’m working on it.
Although mine is being a warrior, yours is being superhuman, and other guys have other things, they are all similar in that all are about taking what you have within, creating your life based on your values, influencing others to do the same and breaking all the rules doing so.
To Prove The Impossible =P
Great post again man.
Wow, an 800 word reply. Awesome. And the best thing about writing is you often prove to yourself that you know more than you thought, as you mentioned! Ideally, you want people coming back to your blog because they are genuinely interested in you as a person. If you can do that, you’ve won. It’s difficult, but that’s the goal.
And sick to hear about your tshirt gig. Sounds cool. I’m glad some of my ramblings have helped you. Really, means a lot to me to get a response like this. Thanks so much.
This rings really true to me. I have been working 10+ hours everyday for over seven months now. I gave up drinking and drugs because I work better sober. The biggest moment was when it switched from being work to being effortless. Not to be cliché, but to work is to breathe. Now I am a stand-out at one of the most competitive art schools in the world. I still have a lot to learn but dont see myself ever going back – ever progressing. To quote John Cage “If I run into a wall, I will beat my head against it.”
The take home message from my incoherent, immodest babble is that superhumans do not try, they do.
Nice Mike. I never knew you were into art. You’ll see my doodles around here more often. I’m a big doodler.
Thanks! Im looking forward to seeing your doodles
Don’t get too excited. I’m not that good
Good words. I think there is also a struggle everyday when we want to give up on the first sight of adversity. This particular article made me realize that its not an easy road.
(http://artofmanliness.com/2012/03/19/16-manly-last-words/)
I have books from Louie Simmons, Tudor Bompa, then Starting Strength. What are other good texts? I’m planning for buying Supertraining, but I got confused between there 2006, 6th and now 2010 editions.
Thanks.
Are you looking for training texts? Or just general good books? Honestly, I don’t read many training texts anymore. The books I read today are books I actually enjoy reading haha! Supertraining isn’t exactly something that beckons your desire.
I was looking for training texts, like Supertraining and Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.
But now I think I’ll reread your posts.
The training text’s I’ve read are:
Supertraining, Starting Strength, Practical Programming, and The Strongest Shall Survive.
After those, I dabbled in Charlie Francis material and overseas stuff like Issurin and Bondarchuk. Of course, a few eBooks here and there too.
But there’s a boatload of crap online. Boatload.
Thanks. Will look for all names you mentioned. Thanks.
Just wanted to chime in and say that your blog (and writing) is getting better and better. Keep bouncing around.
You’ve hit the nail on the head here – this really struck a chord with me. Tonight, I start practicing kip-ups and planning my re-entry into the blogosphere. Inspiring.
Thanks Rory. Get after it while the motivation is there. Don’t stop, either.
I wish I could give you a high five.
Thanks for a very inspiring read.
It’s a high five in my heart. Thank you, Daniel, for reading.
The average man is defeated by problems. The superhuman turns problems into opportunities.
Great post. Just found your blog through TravisStoetzel.com and like the few posts I’ve read so far.
Eric,
You’re in.
Just sign these papers.
Hah! I love that one. Going in my booklet for sure. Glad to have you around.
I remember our beginning days of tricking in the backyard. Landing those 540′s, double legs, b-twists like they were something impossible to do. The happiness that came along with it is something that can not be reached with other accomplishments. For example, attaining an MBA will leave a smile on anyone’s face, but you don’t get the same explosive sense of adrenaline and glory. Additionally, you pay money for that piece of paper and take more pride in the investment. The satisfaction just isn’t the same. I feel like I need to find more ways to bring back the more physical, superman esch accomplishments.But I do have two small quotes I’ve lived by for a long time. They really help out when it comes to practicing a craft, or just living life freely.
1 – Everyone has a knack for the spectacular. (Old Baseball coach would always remind of of that. It made practice worth every second.)
2 – Phillanthrians 1:11 – We do what we want (Freedom aside from a strong friendship)
I think that, your problem can be summarized by this:
“There has to be more to life…”
But ultimately that won’t be realized until Philanthrians comes to life.