You Have Superpowers (Yes, You Do)

What is a Superpowered Life? I really want to answer that question, but before I do, we need to talk about superpowers first.

When I tell people that I believe everyone has superpowers, I typically get one the following reactions:

1. "Yes! I believe that, too!"
2. "I sorta-kinda-believe that, but I don't know for sure."
3. "Get away from me, you new-age hippie freak."

Of course, people don't actually say those things out loud, but their facial expressions and body language are usually quite clear.

So, I thought I'd tell you exactly what I mean when I say superpowers, or more specifically, ordinary superpowers.

Ordinary superpowers are the abilities, talents, and skills that you already possess that help you contribute the most to your life, the lives of others, and the world around you. Consider them your top two or 3 greatest strengths — the ones that noticeably stand above the rest.

Weirdly enough, it is often difficult for us to even recognize these strengths/superpowers because they feel so natural to us that we don't see them as what we do, we see them more as who we are. And we tend to think everyone has them. To us, they don't seem special. They actually seem, well, quite ordinary.

But they are not. They are not ordinary. They are not natural to everyone else. They are not possessed by the masses.

My ordinary superpowers are 1) Exploring new things, 2) Simplifying stuff, and 3) Communicating ideas through writing, speaking, and coaching.

When I explored my strengths and identified these as my superpowers, I had a hard time believing they were super at all, even though I recognized them as strengths of mine! It took me a minute (ok, weeks) to admit they were more extraordinary, more unique to me than I initially thought.

The more I proactively used them and witnessed the results, the more I noticed that I was the only person I knew with that set of strengths who used them the way that I did. I also quickly realized that the more I used my ordinary superpowers, the happier I became. After all who wouldn't be happier doing what they're best at doing and getting great results?

I started paying attention to how other people were succeeding in life, and especially those who seemed to be most fulfilled. What I discovered through this observation was that everyone has their own winning formula, or secret sauce, that allows them to create positive impact.

I also found that even those who seemed to have dialed in and dialed up their superpowers didn't usually do it on purpose. Many just happened to be in the right place and the right time for their powers to shine, or landed in a job that truly tapped into their greatest strengths. Some got there by years of Goldilocks-style trial and error and exploration until they found a place or a job or a career where their powers were "just right".

So, the whole idea of a Superpowered Life is based on a single and awesome"What if?" question:

What if you can intentionally create a superpowered life simply by discovering your Ordinary Superpowers and using them more proactively, more intentionally, or simply just...more?

I'll share more of what I mean by a superpowered life in my next post.

Until then, start paying attention to the abilities, talents, and skills that you already posses that create the greatest impact. Hopefully, you'll start to see that you are already more superpowered than you think!