In Remembrance...
On this Veterans Day & in memory of the creator of super heroes
My father's father was a World War II veteran who died when my father was just a baby.
During World War II, my grandfather was a spy for the Allies (which of course, included the United States, Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union and his home country of China) and against the Japanese, Germans and Italians.
My grandfather was a spy during World War II.
My grandmother told me that when she met him, he loomed larger than life -- a dashing and heroic figure -- wearing a vest and driving a Jeep. Two days after they met, they were married, so she was obviously swept off her feet!
My grandfather drove one of these American made jeeps in China.
Another story about my grandfather is another reason why I see money the way I do...
My grandfather's family was quite wealthy. Apparently, when their son was captured by the Japanese and about to get hanged, his family gave money to a very poor family in exchange for their sons to trade places...so freedom for my grandfather and a hanging for the poor family's son.
I guess I can say that the reason I'm here is because of that poor family's willingness to sacrifice their own son for money. However, I think about that moment a lot. How destitute must you have to be to sacrifice your own life or your child's life, and are they a wealthy family now? Did that wealth increase throughout the generations? Did that initial sacrifice produce a huge return for that family?
I don't know the answers to these questions.
All I know is that it definitely did not help my grandfather in the long run, as he died of lung cancer, about a year after my father was born. My grandfather and my grandmother also had to split up, due to the, oh yeah, spying, and my grandmother left China, while pregnant with my father. My grandfather gave my grandmother gold bars to start her new life in Taiwan with their son, and the rest of that story was told in this earlier post about my cheap dad.
Since this is a day of remembrance, I would also like to remember Stan Lee, who died today at the age of 95. As you probably know, Lee created Black Panther, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, the X-Men, and others, and he was known to appear, as himself, in a cameo in the Marvel movies. In this YouTube video of Mr. Lee's cameos, (in the end) he reminds us that "heroes show us that we don't need to be perfect to do what's right, it's not about living without fear...but about finding your calling...(and) it's OK to be vulnerable."
Stan Lee also wanted us to know how important it is to do what you most want to do and what you're best at...and how most people don't do this because it may seem easier to get a job or to make money doing something else. However, when you do a job just for the money, he says, you feel like you're working, but if you do what you really want to do, you'll feeling like you're playing. And that feeling of "play" leads to more creativity, which leads to more happiness, which leads to more confidence, which leads to others seeking you out to pay you to do what you want to do and what you're best at, just like Stan Lee did.
Comment below: What's your favorite Marvel comic book or movie super hero? Are you going to watch one or a few Marvel movies tonight, in honor, of Mr. Stan Lee? Let's also remember the real super heroes...the ones who fought in wars for our freedom today. Who are you remembering today?
If you want to do what you most want to do and what you're best at doing instead of just getting a job for the money, let's talk! Click here to schedule a time. I'd love to help you make your dreams come true and be a super hero in your own life!
With Gratitude,
