Lessons from Batman and Alfred……
Since I was a kid I have always loved Batman, he was (& still is) my fav superhero. I always liked the idea that Bruce Wayne is human, & doesn’t possess any actual ‘super’ powers, he is a self made man (who also happens to be a billionaire) who has taught himself what he needs to become the Batman.
Anyway, before I geek out totally, this blog is actually about Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce’s loyal & ever faithful butler, & how he may just be able to help you.
I recently re watched Batman Begins & it struck me how much mega advice Alfred gives Sir Brucey. So mega in fact, that I thought I would share some of it with you:
Alfred’s 3 golden nuggets:
1 “You start pretending to have fun; you might even have a little by accident.”
This is a true golden nugget of advice he gives to Bruce. We all are all capable of influencing & shaping our time to be either positive or negative. You know those days, you wake up tired, convince yourself you are tired, look in the mirror, tell yourself you look tired, go to work tell everyone your tired etc etc, this is building evidence in your mind to support the negativity you are putting on yourself. Or maybe you convince yourself with what you cannot do & limit your own potential? I know because I do this myself. I doubt myself at times just as much as the next person. Sometimes it’s hard to see a way out of certain situations and it is normal to feel overwhelmed, but if you can try to convince yourself, even if you are ‘pretending’ you may eventually not know the difference and have more fun & laughs along the way! If you pretend to have fun would your mind know the difference, even on those days when you really can’t face it and can’t be arsed?
Take home point: Can you fake it, until you make it?
2 “Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up”.
How do you ever expect to grow as a person if you cannot rise after being knocked down? Falling in life is guaranteed; picking yourself up is what can define you & in turn make you stronger.
Take home point: Welcome adversity (you have no choice, it will appear anyway), rise to it, and ALWAYS get back up.
3 “What is the point of all those push-ups if you can’t even lift a bloody log!?”
Alfred even gives Bruce some training advice. Bruce is trapped under a log after being attacked, & despite his physical training & muscular development he struggles to apply practical strength. Basically, Bruce looks great but in this situation, struggles to function. Consider day to day functional fitness in conjunction to your training, what would have a bigger or more positive impact to your life?
Take home point: you may have a great physique, but what can you do with it? I know guys who are immensely strong, but struggle to tie their own shoelaces!!
Thats all for today, until the next time Batman Fans……
Tristan ‘Batman man child’ Buttle
P.S – Who is your favourite Batman?