Can you imagine what it must feel like to be Superman and be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, especially when the world needs you the most?

The sheer joy of such a thing!

To realize you have the talent and the strength to burst through the constraints of the physical world and then finding the will to give it all you’ve got. It looks euphoric when he does it. I bet it is.

If only we could all do that.

Oh, wait a minute. Maybe it’s just a matter of scale! I mean, we all have some talents, right? We all have strengths. We all have some things holding us back. Maybe there is a metaphorical tall building out there for each of us. All we have to do is realize our talents and strengths, summon the will, leap, and voila! Euphoric moments await!

I guess if it was that easy, we’d all be going around looking like Superman, with our chests puffed out and clefts in our chins.

The difficulties lie in 1) realizing our talents and strengths and 2) summoning the will, the energy, and the passion to take it all the way.

My friend told me about a recent interview with Stephen King that made an impression on her. He said,

There are plenty of people who have got lots of talent. This world is lousy with talent. The idea is to work that talent and try to get to be the best person that you can…I’m going to quit and be dead for a long time. This is the time that I’ve got, and I want to use it to the max. I really want to try and mine everything that I’ve got.

Whether or not you like horror or thrillers, you know Stephen King. You know he created an iconic body of work that has undoubtedly shaped American cultural history, and he’s still writing. He’s pulling a Superman, in his own literary way.

One could argue that he is extraordinarily talented. He and Superman have greater gifts than we have.

But! Does it take extraordinary talent to leap your building, or does it just take the talent you have, wherever it ranges on the scale of greatness?

And is the biggest thing holding you back the feeling that your talent is inconsequential in the face of things?  Well. Is it enough talent to make you the best person you can be? Probably. And when you admit that to yourself, summoning the will is the easy part.

So go ahead. Leap tall buildings in a single bound. You’ll be glad you did.