We all have something that we are really good at. Some of us are excellent innovators, others are fantastic connectors, and some are amazing producers.
All of us have specific skills and strengths to do what we do and do it well. But what is your superpower? What is that one thing that you do better than anyone else? That thing you can’t easily describe, but you do it effortlessly when you’re in a crunch or in the zone. That gift, that talent, that quality that you bring to life and uniquely contribute to the rest of the world.
And if you’re thinking you don’t have a superpower, you’d be wrong. You have one. You just have to claim it!
In case you were wondering, my superpower is EMPOWERMENT. Whether I am coaching an executive, an entrepreneur, a young professional, or a teen in crisis, I always seek to first empathize, then engage, and ultimately empower my clients to see their better self, so they can be their better self.
My work involves a lot of listening, a lot of questioning, and a lot of encouragement. And I find this work very fulfilling.
But not all of us have the same purpose, vision, or passion when it comes to doing our best and being our best. We all have natural talents, developed skills, and hidden superpowers.
Some of you already know what your superpower is, and you use it regularly. Congratulations! And thank you for sharing your power with the rest of us. We appreciate you.
If you’re not certain what your superpower is or if you’re still not sure you even have one, let’s look at three ways you can discover your hidden strengths and one way to see how effective your superpower is.
- Think about the people you admire. Make a list of five people that you most admire. They can be friends, family members, folks who are famous or folks who are not. They can be people you’ve met or someone you wish you had met. Just make a list of five people you admire and then write down what it is about them that you respect or appreciate the most.
Once you’ve got your list of admirable qualities written out, take a few minutes to journal the ways you exhibit these same characteristics. The interesting thing is that the qualities we admire in others are invariably at the core of our own being.
And funnily enough, the things that irritate us about others are part of our core being as well. <Sigh.> Let’s save that topic for another day. - Start an infinite list of awesome. What’s an infinite list, you ask? Well, it’s a list that starts today and continues to build each day. It’s sort of like a gratitude journal, but here you list all the ways you shone brightly today and the contributions you made to others around you.
And don’t sell yourself short in this list. Absolutely, write down the biggest, most impactful things you did well, but also be sure to include even the smaller things like smiling or holding the door or elevator for someone. (You may have been the inspiration they needed today!)
If it’s been a tough day, it might be hard to come up with even a single good thing you did today. But stick with it for a good five to ten minutes to list out all the ways you made a difference for a single person or an entire group.
After days and weeks of journaling your infinite list of awesome, go back and look for patterns or themes of actions and contributions that you find most enjoyable, important, or inspiring. These will help you define your superpower. - Rerecord your Greatest Hits. As you’re going through your infinite list of awesome, you’re probably coming up with some pretty terrific accomplishments from your early days as well. Big things, like graduating college, getting your first promotion, leading the team in sales for the year. These are major achievements, to be sure. Record them all.
But don’t forget the other things you’ve achieved in your life. They may not register with everyone, but for you they were critical successes that made you who you are today.
These might include battling a bout of depression or anxiety, organizing a special holiday party, remodeling your kitchen, or getting the kids off to school on time every day. All of these are major accomplishments and need to be celebrated.
Once you have your list of Greatest Hits written out, pick the ones that matter most to you or you found the most enjoyable, and consider the skills and strengths you put to use to make them your greatest Greatest Hits.
Whew! That was a lot of listing. Now, of course you didn’t do all this listing with me during the podcast, so I encourage you to listen again when you have fifteen to twenty minutes to get out a pen and paper and write the qualities and characteristics you find admirable or inspiring in others and in yourself.
Once you’ve collected all of these amazing traits, look for patterns and commonalities to condense them into a well-crafted, potent superpower, and then put on your cape and see how it feels.
Now, if you are having trouble coming up with anything to list or you want to see just how strong your superpower is, check in with some good friends or family members who you admire, and ask them what they think your superpowers might be? It’s a good test because we do things borne out of intention, but others see the results of our actions.
Getting this feedback can be a helpful counterbalance to your insightful findings so far. And if your friends or family come up with different skills and strengths, it doesn’t mean they are right, and you are wrong; it’s simply good to know what others think so you can ensure that your intentions are serving others the way you expect them to.
Gathering all this data and then converting it into a superpower might be challenging, and that’s ok. But once you’ve done it and you’ve gotten more comfortable using your superpower a few times, check in to see how it feels. Recognize the difference you make in other people’s lives and the positive impact it brings to your own life. It should feel pretty good.
So how will you uncover your hidden superpower over the next few days? How will you become comfortable with your newfound strength? And most importantly, how will you share your superpower with others to make the world a better place?
At the end of the day, you have to wear your cape and wield your superpower how you see fit. The important thing is to know what your superpower is and put it to use in ways that benefit those you love, those you work with, and those who need a little help. Go ahead, superhero, put on your cape and see the difference you make.
Your Mindful Moment:
Your superpowers can change the world…but only if you show them and share them with the world.
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