If there were an actual Justice League, I think Dr. Gupta would be part of it (the CNN reporter gig would just be his cover).

Jaelithe is Mother, writer, wanderer of mental labyrinths. At least according to her. I find her to be a driven intellectual, full of spunk and passion. With her, it’s stand up and be counted or step aside. She’s one of those folks I’m glad to have both agreed with and butted heads with during our time as Twitter pals and St. Louis area locals.

These super heros are smiling.  But isn’t that how it should be?

How often have you called to the rescue?  You’ve come running at the first sign of trouble. Friends and family have been tossed aside as you jumped into solve a problem.  One too many days have been a blur for you as one fire after another required putting out. You were there.

Were you smiling?

So often in the rush to be the hero we don’t just act superhuman in our problem solving, that we forget to act human at all.  Oh yes, the fires die down, and we move on, but what do we leave behind?  Are the folks being rescued more like the ‘ouch’ and ‘ugh’ type or the ‘wow’ and ‘who was that masked man’ type?

Don’t discount the impression you make when you’re called upon.  Comic books provide a great lesson here.  Which heros do folks call upon first? Is it the arrogant, distant, and angry Punisher.  He leaves bystanders feeling like victims or even left for collateral damage.  Or do they prefer Superman.  Superman the guy that always rescues with a smile and a heart that lets him leave no one behind.

It’s not only the outward demeanor that is reflected to those you help, but your inward one as well.  Sure all heros tend to swagger a bit, but your attitude shows through too.  Do you approach problems and people with a sense of duty and sense of concern for them as well, or is it all about you and your ego? Are you more the Captain America type or Wolverine?

What do folks remember when it’s all said and done?  Are they going to remember you as a helper or did your presence leave a bad taste.

Were you smiling?

In an excellent article, Christopher S. Penn shares strong thoughts about getting through the upcoming economic downturn. It’s part of his Awaken Your Superhero series; a read I highly recommend.

A strong focus of this particular article is about networking. Here’s a great excerpt.

Having a strong personal network is more important than ever. Not just a strong network, but a large one, one in which you participate and try to help as many people as you can and ask them to do the same. With so many social networks and digital communities, this is easier than ever. A strong network will provide you with information you’ll need to make decisions, and will also provide you with leads if you need a job, etc. as long as you bring as much or more value to the people in your network. The key is to get building as fast as possible. Reconnect with old friends, establish new friends. Attend conferences and other meetups, such as PodCamp, BarCamp, MacCamp, etc. that are free or low cost. Look for opportunities to help others.

I definitely agree with him. My current and growing network of online contacts has brought me not only casual friends, but folks that have actually helped me deal with personal issues as well as technical. They’ve provided me off the cuff advice as well as the practical kind. Most powerfully, they came together recently to raise over $8000 dollars for the family of a young lady who died in a car accident. She was a contact of many of us.

Do you just have to network online? No! You can begin your networking with your next door neighbor, or the guys and gals at church, and even, yes, with people at work. One way to network at work is to honestly listen and be interested in projects and people even if they can’t contribute to your work or projects. They’ll remember that.

Do go and check out Christopher’s full article here, and after that, get out and network!