[Edited March 2015]

Imagine, it’s the year 2045 and we are in the Era of Superheroes. The world is in transition; what would life look like then? You have a part to play in determining what that might be. Who is the Superhero in you? What do you want from this new scope of possibility? How will your Superhero guide you there?

My Superhero is Captain Misty Blue. He is the pillar of my universe. He provides me with unlimited space to explore the mystery of life, with all the possibilities present between heaven and the deep blue sea. He is the champion of my journey to advance my purpose in life. He reflects what is and what is not about my being. He navigates me through the turbulent waters of the past and links the relevance of those experiences with the present. He paves the road of exploration for a future that is yet to come.

My Captain has a wonderful team of crewmembers. Each crewmember represents different components of who I am. Captain and crew sail together in partnership, like little pearls dancing around the majestic web of life.

My crewmate, the Wiseman, is my voice of reason. He is my confidant. He is my inner resource that defines my values, and he drives my train of strength and capacity-building. We are partners in lifelong learning. He holds me up when I am unsure. He cheers me on for my successes, big or small. He tells me the truth, when it is so and when it is not. The Wiseman teaches me forgiveness and clears the path for a self-appreciative future. He is the core of my courage. We take risks and expand the space of vulnerability. We build our strengths through understanding our weaknesses.

The Medicine Man is my guiding light for the wellness of my whole being. He heals my wounds, emotionally and physically. He connects me to the mystery of life. He keeps me grounded spiritually. He takes me to the darkest shadows of my childhood that ran most of my life. He brings light into what often seem impossible spaces. He facilitates my healing process through different stages of self-discovery. He is a patient man. Healing is not always easy. Accepting new perspectives can be just as painful as letting go. He reaches into my resourceful self and teaches the power of emotional freedom. His greatest advice: Let’s be gentle with ourselves.

My crewmate, the Bat Girl, is my strategist and taskmaster. She helps me manage the different aspects of my life, no matter how complex and messy they may be. She is a strong multitasker with amazing organizational skills. She puts structure in the things I do – personally and professionally. She teaches me the rules of ball-playing. She expands my creative space to develop the art of people and political skills. Working with my crewmate, the Wiseman, the Bat Girl is the shining star of my professional success. She maintains the balance of a very busy life. To move forward, her strategy is to not prioritize unwarranted life events, but instead focus on what matters in the present.

The Balloonist is my window to the world. He unleashes my energy of discovery. He is my partner in the exploration of diverse cultures and perspectives. He is the adventurist who pushes the limits of my comfort zone. He takes me to places that I have never been before. He lifts me up to the land of unfamiliarity. The height, speed, and lightness of air travel evoke a sense of loss of control that originates from the fears within. He provides me with assurance in my life journey, transforming these fears into positive energy that can be life-enriching and fulfilling.

My crewmate, the Wild Child, gives me permission to be bold and outrageous. She creates space for me to explore the meaning of having fun. She expands my boundaries to allow my creativity to flourish. She provides the path to a less stressful, more fulfilling life through her carefree attitude of self-love. The Wild Child brings forth the playful self that is open to risk-taking. She explores life with curiosity. Teaming up with my crewmate, the Balloonist, she makes the sky the limit as we gaze at the frontier beyond. To be free of overly burdensome life structures and unwarranted expectations (often self-imposed), my crewmate, the Wild Child, provides me a fresh perspective on life with abundant laughter and joy.

Living in an ever-changing world of Superheroes, it is fundamental that we are flexible and allow ourselves to invest in our whole beings. We need to be committed to often difficult journeys in which we must travel to find the cores of who we are. The key is to recognize our internal resources and learn how to appreciate and use them. The rewards of this thoughtful process of self-discovery are fulfillment and enchantment.

My Superhero, Captain Misty Blue, and his crewmates had always been there deep inside of me, yet it was only through a recent professional coach training homework assignment that I came to discover their existence. I am a visual person; I decided to do my project by assembling my Captain and crew using objects that have special meanings. Searching around my house for these objects, the “Ah ha” moment surfaced. These objects were given to me as presents by various people in different stages of my life. I did not have strong connections to nor appreciation for the meanings of these gifts then. Evidently, these friends knew something about me that I did not yet recognize. The process of linking the different objects into a meaningful story marked a powerful transformation for me. The clarity of who I am as an integrated, joyful person appeared in front of me with a big bang.

So, here is my life purpose statement (open to modification as I continue to enrich my life through self-discovery): I am the Quilter who interweaves pieces of life experiences into a meaningful story that is filled with hope, beauty, and contentment.