Major Keys Toward Becoming A SuperHero
October 7, 2016; Flint, MI -- It was a perfect fall Friday in Michigan; meaning, it didn't seem like fall at all. The weather was warm as well as the energy surrounding the 2016 GearUp2Lead conference. Over 900 youth and 100 adults gathered at Flint's Whiting Auditorium (Flint, MI) awaiting an assortment of speakers planning to convey motivational tools, experiences, and ideas to us all.
Among those speakers was our very own publisher, Kellen Brandon. I know it may seem biased for me to say he was the most powerful speaker at the event, but it's true; to me at least. Working with Kellen daily versus seeing him in this capacity created a very diverse experience to say the least. He showcased an ability that I'd never witnessed first hand. It was very similar to a super hero revealing his super powers. But I was the only one who knew his true identity; a publisher who loves kids and his community. Not some phenomenal speaker that places you on his back as he flies you over and through real emotions, adventures, and perspectives. Ironically, that's exactly what Kellen's message to the conference attendees would be. The Major Key's Toward Becoming a SuperHero.
I was never aware that there were major keys toward becoming a superhero, but after this address, I was confident that I could become one. Kellen began by laying out the first step, which is a contractual agreement with ourselves. The agreement was simple. I must understand that I cannot be everything for everyone. Yet, the truth is, I can be everything for one person. I honestly wanted to marinate on that for a minute, but his message moved forward.
Kellen Brandon talks to a room full of students about truly going after their inner super hero.
“You can’t be everything for everyone. But you can be everything for one person.”
The second step was to, "Find Out Who I Am." Often I trick myself into believing that I actually know who I am. But many times I don't. Here's why: Kellen continued by informing us that we only find out who we are when we stop being who everyone else wants us to be. It was a powerful request filled with major responsibility. As I looked around, I noticed that everyone's eyes were on Kellen. He was owning this message, as if it were his own; because in fact, it was. Kellen's message sold seamlessly into the minds and hearts of his hearers. He continued providing insight as he informed us that this journey toward becoming a superhero would be difficult. In that moment I could fully understand the struggle, as I briefly reflected upon the ups and downs of discovering who and what I want to be. Escaping everyone's ideas of who we should be is a hefty task; but a task me and many of the audience members were now empowered to embark upon.
Kellen Brandon encourages the audience to listen to the inner voice and block out the others. #MajorKey toward finding your inner superhero.
Kellen also mixed in a few jokes, often times resembling a stand up comedian. It was again, another role that I'd yet to witness him in. I'm positive that everyone who'd heard Kellen's talk prioritized his keys in different orders. But for me, the most important key was the last. "Pick a Theme Song." If we're planning to go out into the world and kick butt as writers, we have to do it with some pretty cool tunes blaring behind us. It's just another item assisting with creating the innate power of our own singularity. So in closing, don't underestimate your power to be super! There's 7 billion people on our planet, but there is only one person exactly like you; and it's YOU. Find YOUR style, YOUR flow, and YOUR super moments are soon to follow. -LB