The journey to self-realization is not a flight, but a treacherous trek through the terrain of our ordinary lives.
Even the mightiest among us, graced by the world as heroes, dare to pause at the precipice of doubt. A shroud of self-doubt can cast a shadow on our most gallant ambitions, leading us to question, who are we, truly? Am I no more than what the world deems me to be, or do I harbor a potential for more?
Hidden beneath the metaphorical ‘silly red sheet’ that society often drapes us in, I sometimes feel like an unwilling superhero, trapped in an ordinary man’s existence. It’s an odd paradox: in our quest for significance, we are crushed by the weight of expectation. I am not the naive individual fluttering aimlessly among the clouds. No, there’s more to me than mere drifting — I am on a journey to uncover the better part of myself.
We all bear these emblems, whether visible or not. Masks of mettle, concealing the vulnerabilities we fear to reveal — the gnawing insecurity, the desire for a purpose that extends beyond the mundane. Each day, we suit up in the face of expectation, becoming more than birds, more than planes. And yet, how challenging it is, to don this metaphorical armor and face the world, feeling anything but super.
Behind the mask of perfection lies the paradox of humanity: our greatest strength is often our greatest vulnerability.
Standing on the platform of life, I find my reflection in the hurried faces that pass by — a nameless stranger by a passing jeepney, feeling out of place amongst the crowd. Behind these eyes, there’s a turmoil, an unspoken struggle. I yearn to cry, desperate to yield to my knees, embracing the vulnerability that accompanies human existence.
We can fabricate smiles, spin stories about homes in grand castles amid serene lands, but these walls of deception cannot drown the echo of truth: even heroes bleed. It may seem absurd, and perhaps unsettling, but isn’t weakness, in its most candid form, a testament to our strength? It paints us not as crumpled mortals but as warriors grappling with the flaws that make us unmistakably human.
Soaring high may not be my forte. I wasn’t designed to ride with the clouds between my knees. Instead, I must navigate the treacherous terrains of my existence, searching for the special, the extraordinary within me. A quest not for kryptonite – but self-realization, in this turbulent one-way street we call life.
It’s okay to not be okay. Just don’t give up on yourself.
This draped red sheet, this assigned role, is nothing more than a role. As I unravel it, I find comfort in my humanity. Unmasked, I am an ordinary person with extraordinary dreams. I aspire, I hope, I fail, and I rise- again and again, undeterred by the face of adversity. I am, after all, a man searching for a dream — a dream that adds vibrancy to my existence, that makes it easier to be me.
Indeed, it’s anything but easy being me — a ‘superman’, a walking paradox, navigating through life’s intricacies. It’s a complex dance between embracing our vulnerabilities and shouldering the world’s expectations, all the while yearning for an identity that goes beyond societal labels. We must remember that even in our pursuit for the extraordinary, the magic often resides within the ordinary - inside of us.
The journey to self-discovery is not easy, but it is the most important journey we will ever take.
To dream, yearn, hope, and at times, falter — isn’t it these experiences that string together our shared narratives of humanity? So let’s raise a toast to our shared humanity, acknowledging that it’s not easy to be us. After all, isn’t it these struggles that make our triumphs much more rewarding? The magic has always been within us, the dream always attainable. It’s high time we shed our metaphorical red sheets and embrace the extraordinary within our ordinary selves. In the midst of life’s hustle and bustle, remember that it’s not just okay—it’s beautifully human—to live, to breathe, to simply be.
I am not a superhero, but I am a human being, and that is enough.