Our lives are like stories, and we are the heroes of our own narratives. Each of us has the power to achieve anything. But where is that power? When we try to accomplish something, we often feel that the strength to do so doesn’t come from within. Why is that? It’s because the work you are doing is not aligned with your true purpose. This isn’t a mere statement; it’s a fundamental rule. The power to achieve anything doesn’t come from within at the outset. First, we must choose a grand goal, and the mere thought of reaching that goal infuses us with strength.
This was the mistake made by Spider-Man’s character, Peter Parker. He received great powers without having a grand purpose. If you receive great powers without a significant goal, you are likely to misuse them. This is why you might have noticed that the children of wealthy people often have fewer chances of achieving something notable compared to those from middle-class or poor backgrounds. They already possess the power of money, and without a grand goal, we know where that money is likely to be used. But Peter Parker should thank Uncle Ben, who entered his life like a guiding force, akin to Krishna, and imparted the wisdom that with great power comes great responsibility. Because Peter loved Uncle Ben dearly, he understood this and started to act on it. He donned the Spider-Man suit and began using his powers for the right reasons. Peter received a new life, elevated from an ordinary existence to something much higher by fate.
Always remember that while Peter was given something significant to achieve, we need to find our own grand purpose. If we don’t find it, we will live and die like animals—born, educated, employed, married, having children, growing old, and then dying. Is that all we were born for? Animals are born, hunt for their sustenance, reproduce, and then die. A human who sees beyond this does not remain an animal; he becomes the true hero of his own life.
Thanks to Uncle Ben, who showed Peter the right path, Peter chose to become a better person. However, over time, Uncle Ben’s memories began to fade, and perhaps his words too. Peter loved Uncle Ben, so he followed his advice. But there is a significant difference between merely following advice and making it the cornerstone of your life. Peter heard Uncle Ben’s words but perhaps did not grasp their depth. He did not realize that Uncle Ben had, in his words, imparted the concept of selfless action and revealed Peter’s true purpose in life. Uncle Ben had taught him, “You won’t find fulfillment in girls or money. What you truly seek will come from doing work that absorbs you so completely that you forget about the rewards.”
Peter is very fortunate to have a life where he could rise above himself and achieve something greater. Initially, he was delighted with this new life. He felt happy seeing the hope in people’s eyes because his work was making him a better person. He faced thousands of challenges in his work, but overcoming those challenges and emerging victorious brought him unparalleled joy. Similarly, we all face two choices in life: one that makes us better individuals and another that leaves us as we are—humans in the body of an animal.
Thanks to Uncle Ben, who showed Peter the right path, Peter chose to become a better person. However, over time, Uncle Ben’s memories began to fade, and perhaps his words too. Peter loved Uncle Ben very much, so he followed his advice. But there is a significant difference between merely following advice and making it the cornerstone of your life. Peter heard Uncle Ben’s words but perhaps did not grasp their depth. He did not realize that Uncle Ben had, in his words, imparted the concept of selfless action and revealed Peter’s true purpose in life. Uncle Ben had taught him, “You won’t find fulfillment in girls or money. What you truly seek will come from doing work that absorbs you so completely that you forget about the rewards.
The work should be so grand and beautiful that doing it becomes its own reward.”
But after some time, Peter’s inner animal began to dominate him. It started telling him, “What’s the point of what you’re doing? Look, the whole world is happy living a normal life. Why are you working so hard? Why don’t you think about yourself? You have a girlfriend whom you are neglecting. You have a home, and you’re a bright college student. If you don’t do all this, will the world stop turning?” Similarly, if we find great work that we enjoy doing, there will come a time when we start longing for our old comfortable life, just as Peter did. This is the critical moment when we need to hold ourselves together, but we often fail to do so. Peter couldn’t hold on either. When doing the right thing, some people might get upset with us because of our actions. But that doesn’t mean we should abandon our work. However, Peter had made up his mind. He began to prefer his old life over his new one. The love he had for his work started to wane.
One last time, Uncle Ben appeared in his dream to remind him of what was right. But the allure of the old life had become so overpowering that Peter just wanted his old life back. Uncle Ben said to him, “Seeing your inner conflict saddens me deeply.” Peter replied, “Don’t you understand? I want to go back to Mary Jane.” Uncle Ben said, “Have you forgotten all our talks about truth, honesty, and justice? I trusted you to fulfill my dream in the world.” Peter responded, “I can’t live this life, Uncle. I’m not Spider-Man. I want my own life.” Uncle Ben said, “Nature has given you a gift, Peter, something not everyone gets. If you don’t use your powers responsibly, you’ll never be truly happy. Don’t abandon the truth, Peter.” But Peter did not heed his advice. He simply said, “I can’t do this, forgive me,” and walked away.
Remember what I said at the beginning : the motivation and power to do any task only come when that task is truly worthy. When you set a significant goal, the strength to achieve it automatically gets unlocked. Peter was fortunate to receive his powers early on, but not fortunate enough for those powers to remain after his goal was achieved. Those powers were given to him for a reason. Once that reason was gone, the powers disappeared too. The animal won, and the human lost. Peter Parker, Spider-Man died.
A new morning, a new day, and a new life. God gave Peter the opportunity to see what it would be like to live an ordinary life. He thought he could now live with his head held high in society. He got busy with the small issues of his small life again. Nothing new was happening, nor were there any significant challenges in his life. But that’s precisely what he wanted—a routine life where everything was fixed. Sometimes, he heard the sound of police sirens, but he told himself, “Why should I care? I’m not Spider-Man anymore. Besides, when I was Spider-Man, I got a lot of criticism, but now I only get praise. And yes, my Jane, now I can talk to her, give her time.”
Peter went to see Mary Jane’s play. She was happy to see him. Peter explained that he had been busy with something he thought was more important. “But look, I’ve left everything behind and come back,” he said. But it was too late. Mary Jane couldn’t think of Peter Parker the same way anymore because she had found someone else.
Peter kept telling her that he had changed a lot and could be with her all the time, but Mary Jane didn’t agree. Peter felt bad, but he composed himself. Yet, a thought came to his mind: he had left everything for Mary Jane, but she wasn’t with him anymore. So, what would he do now? As the intoxication of meeting and talking to Mary Jane wore off, something began to dawn on Peter Parker. Along with the pain of losing Mary Jane, he also felt the burden of losing his powers. He thought, “What can I even do now? I don’t have my powers anymore.”
One day, he saw a house on fire. He didn’t know what came over him, but his steps moved forward on their own. For a second, he thought about what he was doing. But as soon as he realized someone was trapped inside, he didn’t hesitate. Because if he didn’t act today, he might never be able to look at himself in the mirror again. Today, it was as if the Spider-Man inside him came alive. Even though he had no superpowers, he was still a hero. Without thinking, he rushed into the fire. He proved to himself that great deeds aren’t done because you have powers, but rather, powers come from the resolve to do great deeds. Spider-Man saved the child, asking for nothing in return, because what he truly wanted, he had already received: a joy he had been searching for all over the world, which he found through selfless action.
When Peter realized where he could find what he truly needed, he decided he would give his life for it. He made his work the greatest goal of his life. As I said earlier, when you set a significant goal, the strength to achieve it automatically gets unlocked. Peter’s powers were unlocked, and it was time for Spider-Man to return.
Spider-Man’s life is just like ours. Every moment has ups and downs, and something always tries to dominate us. But what matters is what you choose: the life of an animal or the life of a hero. When it comes to powers, we all have them. It’s just a matter of unlocking them, which can’t happen without setting a significant goal in life. Remember, your resolve is what gives you strength. With great power comes great responsibility.