On Being Super-Human

Our fascination with other human beings lies within the bare nakedness of their humanity. When shone through clear window, a glimpse of similarity is revealed which immediately reminds yourself that you are a human as well. The simple act of vulnerability, letting down our guard could reveal more than we could ever know. We see our own humanity in each other. We remind ourselves that we are human. We are all the same. We have wants, needs, desires and fears. Fears of not being accepted, appreciated, understood. Fears of not being loved.

We are so good at being afraid. We are so good at protecting ourselves, covering up every blemish with makeup or expensive clothes or new purchase. Our lives have been built up on false foundations. We inherently know this. We can’t even spend 10 minutes by ourselves (proven by the ratio of meditation articles read to the amount of time actually spent meditating). But it’s all for naught.

I think it’s time for a change. A bonafide shift in the way we approach life, vocation, relationships, purpose. A centering, a self-confronting moment of truth. An abiding, where we confront our innermost selves. Call it what you will: a meditation, ritualistic, spiritual act of purging. I’d like to call it self-possession. A state of mind where anxiety and fear are accepted, but not entertained. A place where love is exuded and peace is pursued.

Does such a place exist in the human soul? We’ve seen glimpses of it. The Mother Teresas and the Martin Luther King Juniors. It is out there for the taking. It’s the raw human experience that we know is true yet rarely experience in ourselves or in others. But what will it take to reach that level of super-humanity? I think it begins with an honest glimpse at our own souls, in solitude and within community.