Superheroes all adhere to their own personal code of ethics, especially when in costume. Wonder Woman is a perfect example. As Diana Prince (aka Wonder Woman not in costume), she is your typical good samaritan, trying her best to live a life of peace, honesty, and compassion. When she puts on her bold red corset and blue-starred skirt, however, she shifts from a good samaritan to a fierce warrior woman.
The Wonder Woman costume gives Diana Prince the extra confidence to stand up for what she believes in, even in life-threatening situations. (Kind of like your invisible rubber pants and toolbelt.) You too can gain this confidence (hopefully won’t be put to the test in any life or death situations), and no, you don’t have to go out and custom design your own superhero costume.
The Only Place You Have Complete Control
There’s only one place in the whole world where you have complete control. Your personal space is yours and yours alone and you are in charge of deciding what you let into (and out of) that space. There are some cases, of course, in which we sadly lose control of this sacred space. This is why it’s even more important for you to feel empowered to protect the heck out of it. This space is your personal circle, and all that you stand for resides within it.
I remember consciously deciding that where I stand, in my personal circle, is a place of peace. It might not be peaceful anywhere else around me, but right here, within my circle, it’s peaceful because that’s what I stand for. Within my circle there’s no place for discrimination or inequality. There’s no place for hate or injustice, only inclusiveness, compassion, and understanding. Creating these boundaries for myself has saved me many times from discouragement and despair.
Create Your Personal Circle
What beliefs reside within your circle? Create a list of those things you stand for and those you don’t. Try and keep it as black and white as possible. You need to be clear around your values so that when faced with a challenge you can be decisive and confident in your plan of action.
Here’s part of my own list that represents what is allowed inside my circle and what must remain outside:
| I stand for … | I don’t stand for … |
| Social justice | Inequality and discrimination |
| Involved parenting | Neglectful/dismissive parenting |
| Deep nature connection | Disregard for the natural world / Destruction of our wild places |
| Science-based decision making | Short term, profit-based decision making |
Defining your values will help you figure out how to be a good leader. Remember, the first requirement for leadership is that you determine how you can improve the world around you and then commit to the causes that are important to you. You will not be able to solve all the world’s problems, but you can help solve a choice few that you feel passionately about.
So, what are you passionate about? What values guide your moral compass? Use these questions to help define what you stand for, and remember that within your personal circle you have the ability to fight for these values with the fierceness of a warrior. This doesn’t mean you have to be a superhero 24/7, but it does mean that you can act with confidence, conviction, and morality in every decision you make.
