Hope and other superpowers : a life affirming, love-defending, butt-kicking, world-saving manifesto

Introduction: News from Netropolis -- The hero in all of us. Origin stories ; Secret identities and alter egoes ; Kryptonite and archenemies ; Utility belts and armor suits -- Ordinary superpowers. The safest hands are still our own (Compassion) ; We have to give up the thing we want the most (Sacrifice) ; We have a Hulk! (Courage) ; Why so serious? (Humor) ; I'm the Ant-Man (Humility) ; Truth is my shield (Honesty) ; Only love can truly save the world (Kindness) ; Ideas are bulletproof (Creativity) ; I can do this all day (Persistence) : I believe there's a hero in all of us (Wonder) ; I can save today. You can save the world (Gratitude) -- Training ground. Falling and flying ; Superheroes-- assemble! ; Heroes and villains ; Action figures ; You are the hope.;Overwhelmed by the news cycle and the state of affairs in our world? Pastor, blogger, and powerful voice in the Resistance, John Pavlovitz has the answer: this rousing and inspirational guide, drawing from lessons of our favorite superheroes, for how we can band together, live more heroically (and meaningfully), and save the world. It’s exhausting to give a damn these days, isn't it? Perhaps you’re feeling anguished about what you see on the news or in your social media timeline, or by your personal circumstances, and are paralyzed waiting for political or religious leaders, or celebrities, to rescue us from it all. But what if you didn't have to wait for someone else? What if you could be the hero? This book—a spirited call to action—shows you how. In these pages, John offers a path away from the vitriol and toward com­passion, and a plan to transform our burdens into dreams and our outrage into activism. Drawing from lessons of beloved fictional superheroes, John shows us how to identify our origin story, build protective suits of armor, guard against our personal kryptonite, and vanquish our villains. He also identifies ten specific "superpowers" that we can enlist to make our lives and our world better. Along the way, he shares inspiring anecdotes and profiles about ordinary people who saw a gap in the world in empathy or kindness or gratitude and decided to fill it. Hope and Other Superpowers is an invitation to anyone hoping to be the kind of person the world so desperately needs—the kind who can save it. In other words: it’s an invitation to you.;Overwhelmed by the news cycle and the state of affairs in our world? Pavlovitz draws from lessons of our favorite superheroes for how we can band together, live more heroically (and meaningfully), and save the world. In a plan to transform our burdens into dreams and our outrage into activism, he shows us how to identify our origin story, build protective suits of armor, guard against our personal kryptonite, and vanquish our villains. He also identifies ten specific "superpowers" that we can enlist to make our lives and our world better. -- adapted from back cover When you're a kid, you're full of positive expectations, but that shiny hope may tarnish as you mature and your possibilities seen to narrow. Pastor John Pavlovitz wants you to hark back to your youthful optimistic beliefs in caring and helping the world heal. He says "ordinary superhumans" can spread goodness and create profound transformation with small acts of kindness, and he urges you to be such a person. One precaution: Pavlovitz makes frequent, strong political comments - and he's not at all a fan of President Trump - so his counsel isn't for everyone. However, as he calls on readers to take personal action to do good in the world, he also offers inspirational self-help advice