My parents never told me I couldn't do anything, I remember

In the words of Caleb McLaughlin, “My parents never told me I couldn’t do anything. I remember watching superhero movies and saying, ‘I wish I had superpowers.’ And my dad said, ‘You do. You just have to find them.’” Within these simple and tender words lies a timeless truth — that the greatest power a person can possess is belief: belief in one’s potential, in one’s purpose, in the light that sleeps within. McLaughlin’s reflection is more than a memory of encouragement; it is a revelation about the inheritance of greatness that each soul carries. His father’s wisdom transforms fantasy into faith, reminding us that superpowers are not born of fiction, but of courage, perseverance, and self-discovery.

Caleb McLaughlin, known to many through the world of film and television, grew up in a home where possibility was nurtured, not limited. His father’s words did not promise ease or shortcuts — they ignited responsibility. To be told “you have superpowers” is not to be flattered, but to be challenged: to search within, to awaken the dormant strength that lies buried beneath doubt and fear. This belief, taught to him as a child, is the seed from which self-mastery and confidence grow. For when a parent teaches a child that their potential is boundless, they give them not just hope, but the foundation of destiny itself.

In ancient wisdom, this idea was known well. The philosopher Epictetus taught that every person carries within themselves the divine spark — a power not granted by gods, but born of the human spirit’s capacity to reason, to endure, to create. So too did the heroes of myth begin not as gods, but as mortals who learned to awaken their inner greatness. Theseus found his strength by lifting the boulder left by his father; Heracles became mighty not through birthright, but through labor and pain. McLaughlin’s father’s words echo that same ancient truth: that each person’s power must be discovered, tested, and claimed through action.

But the beauty of this quote lies also in the role of faith — not only faith in oneself, but in those who nurture us. The encouragement of a parent, a teacher, or a mentor is the divine whisper that reminds us who we are before the world tries to tell us who we cannot be. McLaughlin’s father, in that single sentence, shaped a lifelong truth: that children rise to the level of belief their parents hold for them. The gift of belief given early in life is like a flame carried through the years, guiding the spirit through darkness and doubt.

Consider the story of Thomas Edison, who as a boy was sent home from school with a note declaring him “too slow to learn.” When his mother read the letter, she refused to accept it. She told her son that he was gifted beyond his teacher’s understanding. Years later, when Edison had changed the world with his inventions, he discovered the truth of that letter — yet he said, “My mother made me. She was so true, so sure of me, and I felt I had someone to live for.” Her faith became his superpower. This is the same wisdom McLaughlin’s father imparted: that belief is the force that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.

The lesson in this quote is one of sacred simplicity: every human being is born with power, but it must be sought, cultivated, and refined. Your superpower may not be strength of arm or speed of foot, but the endurance to rise after failure, the compassion to heal others, or the imagination to see beyond limits. To find it, you must look inward with honesty, and outward with purpose. As McLaughlin’s father said, “You just have to find them.” That search — that lifelong journey of discovery — is what turns potential into purpose, and purpose into legacy.

So, children of the earth, do not wait for lightning to strike or destiny to descend. Your superpowers are already within you — the gifts of courage, love, creativity, and endurance. Seek them, sharpen them, and use them to lift others as you climb. Remember that belief is not a feeling; it is a practice, a daily act of faith in who you can become. Speak to yourself as McLaughlin’s father spoke to him — with conviction, with tenderness, and with the wisdom that greatness is not granted, but revealed.

Thus spoke Caleb McLaughlin, through the memory of a father’s love, reminding us of an eternal truth: that within each person lies a divine spark waiting to be kindled. And when that spark becomes flame, it lights not only the path of the one who bears it, but also the world around them. For those who dare to find their own power become the heroes they once dreamed of — not in legend, but in life.