Define Your Superpowers!
You are a superhero.
Feeling a bit too ordinary to be a superhero? Maybe you haven’t located your superpowers yet. Don’t worry, we all have them. Maybe you call them something different like your life purpose, zone of genius, calling, or just plain old career path.
Regardless of what you call it, it’s an integral part of you, one that you’re going to begin the process of discovering—right now.
Superpowers are the things that come so easily to us that we don't even have to think about them.
If you get still for just a minute, some of these superpowers will pop in your mind. They’re the things that come so naturally to you that you might not even consider them special. So, let’s try it. What are you are very, very good at?
Maybe it’s your calling to make others feel at ease no matter what the situation. Or maybe it’s visioning a brand new solution to an old problem at first glance. Problem solving, that’s a superpower. Or maybe you have the superpower of communication: listening authentically and making sure people around you know they're being heard (hint, that’s one of mine).
It’s a privilege to have the space to pause and dedicate some time to discovering what we’re good at. And if you can move forward in a way that brings you closer and closer to your true purpose, you’ll be able to see more clearly what you want (or don't want) to be doing in life, in work, in your journey.
There are billions of people all over the planet who are doing work, despite opportunity to choose OTHER—that is not aligned with their superpowers. They’re doing work that doesn't come easily and makes them stretch into parts of themselves that feel powerless. This is a fast track to feeling overwhelmed and out of alignment.
If you’ve found yourself sitting with a huge amount of discomfort in a situation, it’s very likely that you were being asked to stretch into some stuff that's not entirely part of your calling. Or that you were, in fact, harnessing your zone of genius under someone else’s direction when what you needed was to be in control of your superpower, as opposed to doing that work on someone else's behalf.
When you stay true to your purpose, you’ll find more alignment in your life and your work will flow out of you, instead of feeling like a chore. And, ultimately, you'll enjoy it more.
So many people fear claiming their superpowers because they think that owning what they’re good at is boastful. But it doesn’t have to be. When we figure out how to articulate the things that we are good at, we create an awareness that we can work with to make sure that our career path lines up with our superpowers and that we can show up every day and work in our ease.
How Do I Discover My Superpowers?
Ask other people.
Again, many of us don’t appreciate our zone of genius as special. It's hard to imagine that the things that come most easily to us are the parts of ourselves that we need to be showing up with the most. But I can guarantee that the things that you do naturally, with the most ease, are things that can benefit the people and situations in your life. And they are unique to you. Finally, I want to remind you that no matter what they are, you can—if you choose—make your career out of these superpowers.
Analyze the situation you're currently in—whether it be your career path or life. Ask people, especially people who care about you, love you, and know how special you are, what you are really, really good at. If your people are talking about you behind your back—in all the best ways—what are they saying? How are they celebrating you and the things that you do with so much ease? That’s how you identify your superpowers. And, ultimately, you want to be working in those superpowers all the time whether it’s something you can directly monetize or not.
Unlock your brain.
Draw a picture of yourself as your own superhero.
Think you’re not creative or that this won’t help you? Drawing helps build new pathways in the brain. It’s a great way to expand your thinking, sharpen problem-solving abilities, and spark inspiration.
So, do a quick little drawing of what you might look like as a superhero and make some mental notes about what comes up. When you allow yourself to get creative, you might be surprised at what superpowers come out.
