If I Could Give You A Superpower: A Hero's Journey to Find Peace

By Jason A. Wagner

In a day and time when mental health struggles may very well be the most important battle anyone fights in the course of their life, having a path to follow to work through those issues that is free of ambiguity and medical jargon is needed. You'll find no scientific studies relating data from 40 years ago to now in this book. You will find, however, an easy to follow pathway to help create some "superpowers" to build your strength, your speed, grow the ability to fly, and even... TELEPORT! This journey needs no medicine, no high dollar therapists, and no inpatient treatment facilities. This journey will be one of introspection, reflection, progression, and growth. It is not an easy task, becoming a hero. If we do the work to obtain these powers, not only can we help ourselves in our darkest time, but we can help others along the way. This journey is not for the faint of heart. It is challenging, and it will bring us to our knees from time to time. It will be in those moments when all hope seems lost, that our newly gained superpowers will activate, and push back the villains we face in life, to become the greater version of ourselves. Join me in this journey to find peace and you will find not only new abilities, but you will grow to know the person you were always meant to be, in the form you were designed to have.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Outskirts Press
• Release date: Aug 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781977257734

Jason A. Wagner

Jason has taken the lessons he has learned and continues to work on to this day, and presented them for all to understand not only the pathway to mental health peace, but the challenges we will all face together. Jason has spent over the last two decades learning how to work through mental health struggles with advice and guidance of some of the greatest leaders, family, and friends one could ever ask for. He currently resides in Kentucky, with his wife, two children, two dogs, and two turtles.

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If I Could Give You A Superpower

A Hero’s Journey to Find Peace

All Rights Reserved.

Copyright © 2022 Jason A. Wagner

v1.0

The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.

This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Outskirts Press, Inc.

http://www.outskirtspress.com

ISBN: 978-1-9772-5773-4

Cover Illustration by Victor Guiza © 2022 Outskirts Press, Inc. All rights reserved - used with permission.

Outskirts Press and the OP logo are trademarks belonging to Outskirts Press, Inc.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

For:

Stacey, Katie, and Nolan

Dedicated to the memory of those we lost as they gave the full measure of devotion so that I may have the freedom to bring this message to everyone it reaches…

And to those who lost their fight on their pathway to peace.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prologue

Building a Foundation for Strength

I: Acceptance

II: Self-Worth

III: Belief

IV: Perspective

The Power of Speed

V: Vision

VI: Forgiveness

VII: Drive

The Power of Flight

VIII: Desire

IX: Gratitude

The Power of Invisibility

X: Empathy

XI: Compassion

The Power of Teleportation

XII: Humility

Epilogue

PROLOGUE:

A Backstory to Explain the Journey

IF YOU COULD have any superpower, what would it be? We used to ask these questions of our friends all the time when we were kids. My son, now 16, even asked me this question just a few months ago. For me, the answer is always easy… teleportation! Mostly because I hate to drive anywhere, and although I love to fly, I’d absolutely relish the ability to be where I want to be at any time, in the blink of eye.

Think about it though. Have you ever asked yourself that question? Has there ever been something you wanted so badly, that you’d undergo a major life changing event just to have? A certain green guy was overcome by gamma rays to become one of the most iconic heroes of the last three decades. A puny New Yorker went through an experimental procedure to be able to be the one to pick up the shield and run through enemies of the United States, and the world, for more than 80 years. Of course, there’s always that high school science student who was bitten by the superhero bug, eventually turning him into quite a friendly neighbor.

Let’s not forget about the ladies that jumped from the pages and the screen either. It didn’t matter if they were a warrior princess carrying a big sword or a Russian spy turned double agent, turned reluctant hero who gave her life to bring back the lives of half of the population of the inverse. Some could fly through the air with ease, zoom through the cosmos, and even force the truth from villains with the use of a mystical rope.

Regardless of the amazing powers they held within, the fear of ridicule or shame, of being different than everyone else, held each of our heroes captive in their own minds from time to time. They felt the need to create different personas, carefully crafting them in order not to draw unwanted attention from those that might want to harm them, study them, or even imprison them for simply being different. Some stayed hidden for decades, living completely normal and unassuming lives. Even still, trouble seemed to always find our heroes at the most inopportune time. As it was meant to be, they never hesitated, even at great cost to themselves and potentially their freedom, to spring into action when their set of abilities were needed.

Though we chose to dress as them for Halloween or even while playing pretend with our friends, it was never the outfit they were wearing that gave them the ability to help others. It wasn’t the cape and cowl, the mask, or the technology that allowed them to save the lives of so many. Deep down, at the very essence of who they were, the desire to help others came from having an innate sense of what was good and what was evil. It was this understanding that propelled our heroes forth, to do good and best the villains that stood in their path to helping the world they served find peace.

One more commonality existed for each of our heroes, one much less focused on, less talked about. That common theme between each hero that we looked to for guidance as children, and even as adults, is that they are flawed. We have looked up to the ones with powers we could only dream of, for the powers that we sought. But in our short-sightedness, we forget that each one of