When I was younger, guys like Superman and Batman were my heroes. Their big muscles gripping their huge guns while they smoked their enormous cigars made practically every boy my age want to emulate them. Whether we were playing with our GI Joes, our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or our fake guns, all we wanted was to be huge heroes, to change the world and to get all the credit for it.

Not much has changed since. Now we like to play video games like Halo, Gears of War and Guitar Hero. Our favorite movies have been superhero movies like Spiderman and X-Men.

For guys, there's something really addictive and intoxicating about these fantasies. We love to think that with a flick of our wrists, we could glide from rooftop to rooftop. Saving the universe from slimy ugly aliens is our idea of an afternoon well spent.

Unfortunately, there can be a downside to With a flick of our wrists, we could glide from rooftop to rooftop and save the universe from slimy ugly aliens. these fantastic voyages through other people's imaginations. The more we imagine ourselves in the places of Arnold or Spiderman, the more our lives look dim and uninspiring in comparison. For some people this can even lead to an addiction of sorts, where they identify more with these artificial creations than their own souls. Who wouldn't rather be a superhero than a lowly accountant or, heaven forbid, a blogger?

Which brings me to my point. Superman ain't got nothing on me.

I understand, you're confused. A moment ago, I was talking about how pathetic my life is compared to Superman and all his superhero brethren. And now, here I am telling you how much better I am than him. Bear with me.

To save someone's life, Superman has to break through walls and beat up bad guys. To save a life, I simply need to live my life the way G‑d asks me to. As the book of Ethics states: "Make that His will should be your will, so that He should make your will to be as His will." What does that mean? Simply by doing as I am asked, I can harness G‑d's power. Imagine! That's so much better than X-Ray vision, don't you think?

So what if I can't destroy aliens. Who needs to travel through space when you can access the entire universe straight from your soul? The voyages that G‑d has taken me on in my spiritual space vessel have been more wondrous than any boring trips to Jupiter or even Alpha Centauri. And unlike Halo, this trip never ends. In fact, every moment on this trip is eternal and absolutely beautiful. I'm pretty sure Superman only shows off his flashy moves because he is jealous of my internal ones.

Every gesture and every moment is an opportunity for me to exercise my super powers. With a smile, I can change someone's life. With a simple movement from my pocket to a tzedakah box, I can change the world. I may be as insignificant as a peasant or as powerful as a king. But no matter what, G‑d gives me the same strength and potential to positively affect everything around me.

Unlike a video game, I don't need to have a high score displayed at the end of the game to tell me how well I've done. There is no great villain to destroy. The only villain is my own animal soul. And the only measure I need is my own awareness of my self-worth. In fact, no material element can tell me how well I am doing, only G‑d knows. And since I don't always have to measure my powers, I can focus on improving them and sharing them with the world.

And the best part is, the more I accomplish, the more powerful G‑d makes me. I give tzedakah, and G‑d rewards both my recipient and me. Every time I put on tefillin, I am connected more with G‑d, even as I help bring Him into the world. Every moment is a symbiotic adventure to the depths of the spiritual world, one that no fantasy or game or superhero could ever attain. Superman can fly? Pshaw! I am flying all the time!

The older I've gotten, and the more I have embraced my Judaism and moved forward, the more I've seen video games and movies as a metaphor for the world around me, instead of the other way around. As beautiful as these metaphors can be, they don't come close to what my fellow superheroes and I are capable of.

And as more time passes, my superhero friends and I will move forward until the point that we help to bring about the ultimate redemption and beat the final level. But unlike the metaphors that surround us, the end won't be the end. It will be the beginning.

Superman, you're a great guy. But you really got nothing on that.