Excelsior.

The Latin word for, "ever higher" or "ever forward."

This is the motto of Stan Lee, the man behind Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the Hulk (this is also the state motto for the state of New York....but we don't care about that right now).

Stan Lee created the superhero that struggles with everyday life. This is what drew me to comics when I was younger, and this is what lead me to adopt excelsior as my own motto. And you want to know what I have learned?

I am a damn superhero.

That's right. I'm a superhero. Don't believe me? I keep my cape in my closet.

But I don't have super strength, I haven't come into contact with some foreign space radiation and I can't fly or read minds.

Instead, I embrace the qualities I do have. Bringing people together, my dry wit, quoting movies, and knowing so much about Batman that I could, quite possibly, be Batman-but that's a story for another time.

But embracing your good qualities is half the battle when it comes to being a superhero. You also have to accept and overcome the places you fall short. I overreact, I rarely stick to shit (I'm going to the gym everyday this week? Or nah.), and I steal fries off of other peoples plates.

Let's take a look at Iron Man. Iron Man looks like he's got it all going on. He has money, he's smart, he eventually cares about the safety of everyone on the planet, Pepper Potts (his GF) is SMOKIN' hot. But he struggles with vanity, control, and trust issues.

We see Iron Man walk the balance between using what makes him good, and working on what makes him an asshole. And that right there ladies and gentlemen, is what really defines a hero. Taking what you have been given, and channeling your gifts into helping the people around you.

You rise above the things you don't like about yourself, and make the choice to focus on the things you do like.

Excelsior.

So the next time you think you aren't good enough for something, aren't pretty enough, smart enough, or aren't rich enough...

Embrace that you kick ass at Tetris, can do any accent, are really good at math, or have an impressive sticker collection.

So break out your cape. Because you're a hero to me.