Life Lessons We Can Take from Stan Lee
How We Fight Evil and Injustice in The Modern World
Stan Lee (1922–2018)
A great man passed away today.
He was loved by many, and his legacy outlives him, and will for the foreseeable future.
Stan Lee was the genius behind Marvel comics, and the creator of some of the most iconic figures in the world: Spider-Man (my favorite), the Hulk, the X-Men, and many, many more.
Right now I’m thinking of the great joy he brought me while growing up (and quite frankly, now) — and the joy he has brought in the world for my 7 year-old boy with Down Syndrome…who was just playing “Super Hero” with me yesterday — acting like he was Iron-Man while I was the Hulk during our wrestling match.
I am sad to see him pass, as are a great many people…
But I’m thinking about this and realizing that leaving this world with a magnificent life lived is the greatest thing we can do as human beings.
He certainly did that.
He was and will always be an inspiration on how to lead a great life.
Here are some of the things I learned from Stan Lee:
***LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM STAN LEE***
💪 IT’S OKAY TO BE UNSURE OF YOURSELF…
Stan revolutionized the comic world when he made his super heroes relatable to humans. Up until the 1960’s, all comics were the clean cut, always do the right thing with no difficulty type of characters. Stan changed that.
Spider-Man constantly doubted himself, Tony Stark had a fallible ego. They had problems, and felt fear.
They didn’t know they would win, actually had to have courage to take the next step (Superman doesn’t need courage).
💪 IT’S OKAY TO BE DIFFERENT.
A lot of his characters were bullied. They were often outcasts and outsiders. They didn’t usually “fit in.” And he taught through his comics that this condition was the NORM.
He allowed many of us, like me, to be completely fine with not adhering to being ‘normal,’ and to take comfort in that.
I’m so grateful that he did this. It made my childhood more bearable. Thank you, Mr. Lee.
💪 WE NEED TO FIGHT FOR WHAT’S RIGHT IN THE WORLD…
(From his 2008 Medal of Freedom Award) “His complex plots and humane superheroes celebrate courage, honesty, and helping the importance of helping the less-fortunate reflecting America’s inherent goodness.”
I would argue that the values we learned as kids learned in comic books and through the cartoons on TV “stuck” more than most anything we were taught in school.
His characters reflected the right and wrong of society, and helped to give a few generations of youth their moral compass.
His characters did that — because HE did that. Please see the picture of “Stan’s Soap Box” in this. He fought injustice more than any of his characters…and in a more effective way that influenced many, many millions of people.
💪 WE ALL HAVE ORIGIN STORIES…
The “Origin Story” is the back story of the person before they became the super hero. It’s what led them to become super.
And most every hero had a tough background, and became a superhuman to deal with those.
It’s okay to come from humble beginnings — a lot of us do.
What’s important is WHO YOU BECOME.
He gave us hope that we could become something more than what we are.
💪 HAVE FUN!!!
Watching Mr. Lee make memorable and oftentimes hilarious cameos in his movies was a joy.
My daughter Aly and I would share a knowing look and smile when we saw him on screen, obviously having a blast.
I remember talking to Aly after Avengers: Infinity War and remarking that he was in his mid-90s and doing what he loves to do.
He was reported to have often jumped up on the tops of desks and yell and act out the stories he was telling in the comics and on screen.
💪 WORK AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
After making tens of millions of dollars and never having to work again in his life, Stan Lee followed a 9–5 routine until the end of his life.
He did what he loved, and loved what he did.
💪 GIVE CREDIT TO OTHERS.
Stan ushered in the era of giving credit where it was due. He pioneered actually crediting the artists and the storytellers for the work they did.
Prior to the 1950s and when Stan hit his heyday, there were no credits given to the people who worked hard on the comics.
He gave them that credit, and made them into recognizable names for all those who loved comics.
He often included his writers and artists in the interviews done for him.
💪 LOVE YOUR SPOUSE.
In a playful interview with his dear wife (whom he married in 1946) Joan, he said,
“Everything is mutual. I love her, and she loves me LOVING her!”
She responded with, “And he loves HIM, and I love him loving him!”
They were dancing, and playfully arguing, and the love was evident in the interview.
💪 FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT AND HELP OTHERS.
This is maybe the most important lesson of all.
It’s not enough to NOT do wrong.
It’s imperative on us to put a stop to wrongdoing when we see it.
The famous line from Spider-Man is “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Well, we all have great power…and thus the responsibility of helping others.
I’ve learned later in life that the way to become great in life is to find a way to serve the many…
But Stan Lee made that point for decades in his comics.
It was the right thing to do to help the underdog and stand up for what’s right, even if the odds were stacked against you.
It’s our privilege and duty to help those who need it.
______________________
Stan Lee, you will be missed, but not forgotten.
Congratulations on leading such a phenomenal life and leaving a legacy for a grateful world.
Excelsior!
P.S. Please share if you feel the same way about Stan Lee.
P.P.S. Here is a great documentary on this great man from YouTube.
P.P.P.S. Ready to Upgrade With Your Own Super Hero Powers? Click Here to Get Your Night Time Checklist to Win the Day!