When you were little, did you ever have a favorite, inspirational ‘superhero’?
Not necessarily a Spiderman or Batman; but a book character, an actor or actress, a singer, a TV show personality, a cartoon character?
Someone you admired, looked up to, and perhaps wanted to be like?
For me, oh boy, I had so many.
Kelly Kapowski (a la Saved By The Bell), DJ Tanner (Full House), Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Belle (Beauty & The Beast), and Kristy (from my favorite book series The Babysitter’s Club)—are just a few that come to mind.
I wanted Kelly’s cute boyfriend (i.e. the Zack Morris) and ‘girl-next-door’ vibe.
I liked DJ’s smarts and leadership qualities.
Mary-Kate and Ashley had the cutest sense of style.
Belle…well I didn’t want her boyfriend (i.e. the Beast), but I liked her intelligence, thoughtfulness, kindness, and beauty from the inside out.
And Kristy, she was an innovator (she created the ‘Babysitter’s Club’), confident and comfortable with who she was.
I may not have worn my Superman costume to bed every night or read comic books on these characters, but I most certainly admired these girls with ‘superpowers’ I knew I wished I had myself.
Want to know a secret though?….I know something that you may not know.
At least, I know something that you may not know…YET.
You, my friend, (and myself included as well), have SUPER-POWERS all your own, 100% unique to who YOU are and what you stand for.
As cliché or cheesy as that may sound, it’s true.
Have you ever stopped to reflect or ponder your own innate, amazing superpowers?
If not…today is your chance.
I CANNOT tell you how many times, this past week alone, I have heard the words:
“I can’t do it.”
Or,
“I am not good at that at all.”
Or,
“I have no idea what I am good at”
Or,
“I don’t really know what my goals are or where I am going.”
All from women who feel stuck in various areas of their lives:
From jobs and careers…to branding and marketing their own businesses…to tapping into their own passions…to completing a difficult workout (i.e. lifting heavier weight or ‘getting’ a skill like muscle-ups or handstand push-ups)…to writing an essay for college admission….to sticking to a consistent nutrition or exercise routine…and beyond.
Man, we, ourselves, are often times our own worst critics!
The long story short is that: YOU, my friend, are a force to be reckoned with.
That being said…it’s time to start thinking about and knowing your own strengths, in order to stop saying, “I can’t” or belittling yourself or not pursuing your goals or heart’s desires because you fear failure, and on and on.
Find a quiet place.
Pull out your journal—or scratch piece of paper—and for 5-minutes on the dot, you are going to write, reflect, dig deep and come up with a list yourself of the superpowers you already possess.
Don’t think twice about it…or hesitate to write whatever comes to mind.
What are you good at?
What are you passionate about (A mission? A cause?)
What do you deeply care about or love?
These can be qualities about yourself, or things that you love in life/
Need some inspiration?
Here’s a little sneak peak of what I came up with:
-I am compassionate
-I like to pay it forward to others
-I am determined, and work hard at whatever I do
-I am an optimist
-I am intuitive—I read people well
-I am not judgmental
-I am a good communicator through words and have a passion for writing
Boom.
I took this exercise even one step further though in order to really affirm what kind of SUPERPOWERS I have, and phrase them in a new, refreshing positive way.
First, I took my positive sentences and reversed them in a negative light (stick with me).
-I am compassionate = I am insensitive
– I put others first, me last = I am selfish
-I am determined, and work hard at whatever I do= I am a lazy bum
– I am an optimist= I am a die-hard pessimist
-I am intuitive with people=I am not connected with people
-I am not judgmental=I am judgmental
-I am a good communicator through words and have a passion for writing=I can’t write worth a lick
Then…I took each negative and built an innovative, positive statement around it, such as:
I am insensitive=I am genuine and real—a connector
I am selfish= I pay it forward to others
I am a lazy bum= I am a mover and a shaker
I am a die-hard pessimist= I am an eternal optimist
I am not connected with people=I read others well
I am judgmental=I don’t judge a book by its cover
I can’t write worth a lick=My upcoming book is going to be a New York Time’s Best Seller
You get the picture.
You have some AMAZING SUPERPOWERS that you, yourself, may not even be aware of (yet)…and you NEEEEEED to own those.
Knowing these innate superpowers about ourselves, consequently gives us more direction and resources to take whatever comes our way in life by storm (playing to our strengths).
Also, knowing our own superpowers can help make it easier to bring focus, consolidation and direction to the way and with whom you spend your time; the goals you pursue; and what you devote your energy to—your ‘one thing’.
Have you ever heard of the “one thing”?
Your ‘one-thing’ in essence could be taken from your list of superpowers above.
What is the ONE thing that you are really good at…and/or what is the ONE thing (cause, passion, purpose) that drives you in your life?
(Note: This can change over time; but what is your ONE thing today?)
When you have a clearer picture of what that ONE thing is, it is then that everything else in your life can align with that ONE THING—and you may feel a greater sense of purpose in knowing that you are honing in on YOUR strengths (or ‘superpowers’).
For instance, you may be really good with people—you are a ‘people person’, super outgoing, and great and making others feel welcome, loved and connected…knowing this—you must do something (or many things) with people.
Or, your strength may be as a coach. You are a really solid coach—in the gym, or in the game of life, or in the classroom, or in the workforce—wherever your place is. You ‘see the field’, inspire others well, you’re a leader and love strategizing a plan of attack to help others succeed. Own that.
Or, another, you may be quiet, but you’re a really good listener and very reflective. Your presence invites others to share openly and honestly with you, without feeling judged, and you are able to provide clear-thinking advice to others when they can’t see two sides to the same story. You’re a natural counselor.
And one more, you have a talent or skill that is uniquely yours—you’re an amazing writer, poet, singer, painter, basket weaver, dog-walker, baby whisperer—you name it…not everyone has it. Knowing your ‘one thing’ can help this unique gift of yours not go to waste—use it.
My ‘one thing’ that drives me, I would say is:
I am passionate about empowering women to know their worth and stop fighting themselves.
Knowing this value that is dear and dear to my heart—the things I choose to do in my career and my mission, for today, are closely aligned with that.