I like to watch movies.  I like to escape reality to an imaginary world, where the good guys win and the underdogs come out on top. I imagine myself in the place of the hero and revel in their ability to sacrifice for the sake of the greater good. 

One of my favorite movie trilogies is the Dark Night: Batman Begins, The Dark Night and The Dark Night Rises. It is an escape from reality with an underlying message of hope and overcoming obstacles. 

If we break down each film, we see an evolution of the characters as they overcome adversity. They struggle with conflict and make difficult choices. They are not perfect, but none of us are. We need to make mistakes in order to grow.

In Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne is afraid of failure. He is afraid of letting others down, and of not being good enough. He witnessed the murder of his parents at a young age but refuses to kill a prisoner without due process. He realizes that he needs to stand up for what he believes in. He becomes a symbol of incorruptibility as Batman. 

The most inspiring message from my perspective is the realization that “It’s not who we are underneath, but what we do that defines us”. In other words, what we think about ourselves is not important. Our actions determine how other people view us. 

Another message that I took away from the movie was the importance of failure. Bruce learns from his father that the reason for falling is “So we can pick ourselves up”. Failure is a part of life. Without it, we can grow and become better.

In The Dark Night, we learn that the “night is darkest before the dawn”. We need to endure. In the end, Batman realizes that glory is not what it means to be the hero. He sacrifices his reputation in order to do what is in the best interest of Gotham. 

“Sometimes the truth is not enough; sometimes the people deserve more”. Are we wiling to sacrifice for the greater good without getting the credit? Are we ready to be the hero that is needed?

We need to make our own luck like Harvey Dent. We can blame our circumstances on bad luck, or take responsibility for our state in life. We can only control the attitudes we have and the choices we make, so let’s focus on those.

In The Dark Night Rises, we get an appreciation for overcoming odds that seem to be insurmountable. Batman has been defeated but summons the determination to overcome his failure. He learns that fear is integral to success. Without fear, we become complacent. Without fear, we have no motivation to avoid failure. In other words, by playing it safe, we avoid taking the risks necessary to be truly successful. We need to take off the the training rope in order to realize our potential!

“Being a hero can be as simple as putting a coat over the shoulders of a young boy and letting him know that the world has not ended.” – Bruce Wayne. 
What are the simple acts that you can do to be a hero to someone in need??? 

John