What’s Your Superpower? Find Out and Make the Most of It.

Take that thing that makes you special and use it to change both yourself and the world

We inherit our name. We inherit the color of our skin. We inherit our birth place. We had no say in any of these things. But life has a way of separating us from others who share these things with us. Our life experiences bring us both weaknesses to overcome and gifts to cultivate.

But like good little products of a perfectionist culture, often we try to be superhuman. To overcome our weaknesses and turn water into wine with perseverance, dedication, and grit. But sometimes water just needs to be water, and wine needs to be savored.

We are special once in a lifetime vintages-each unique with our own fragrance and composition. Some of us are pungent and tart, like a jolt to the taste buds. Others of us are a gentler bouquet, a taste that grows in intensity after a few minutes resting on the palate.

And this individuality is where our true power lies. So maybe the key to all the good things in the word — success, happiness, positive change in ourselves and in the world at large —comes from simply “managing” the weaknesses and truly maximizing the strengths. From focusing on our own superpowers instead of spending too much time trying to cure our own personal Kryptonites.

How to figure out what your true superpowers are

But, in order to find out your true superpowers, some investigation may be necessary. Because the truth is that all too many times we are so focused on our less than stellar qualities that we don’t even know what our real strengths are. So we need to do some digging into our own thoughts and the thoughts of others who know us.

For example, finding your superpowers may mean some self-contemplation. Ask yourself why people keep coming to you. Do they come to you seeking strength, when they know what they need to do but lack the courage? Do they come to you for creative solutions to their concerns, proclaiming that your “out of the box” thinking helps them find answers to seemingly unsolvable problems? Do they come to you for emotional reassurance and compassion? Do they text you saying they need your help thinking through a situation logically and planning their next steps in an organized manner?

And as beneficial as this self-questioning is, you can only truly divine your special talents by combining your own conclusions with those of the people whom you trust or love. Ask family members, friends, and coworkers to tell you what you bring to the table over and over again that works magic. Tell them to be honest, or better yet, only chose to talk to people who will be.

And when you find a pattern or interconnectedness between their statements and your own self-evaluations, you know you’ve hit gold. So, your next steps? Mine that gold and use it to make your dreams come true.

Using your superpowers for your best life

Your relationships

Let’s say you’ve discovered that you have a special power to motivate other human beings. Use it, and remember that this is what others need from you most. So if a friend comes to you complaining that she is depressed over the fact she has gained ten pounds in quarantine, don’t focus on giving her your exercise tips or helping her organize a diet and exercise plan. Motivate her.

Tell her to think of how sick her ex will be when he sees her rockin’ body at the community pool this summer. Tell her how much fun it will be to actually be excited about shopping for new clothes in which she feels confident. Watch Rocky with her and pump her up when the training scenes come on. Do what you do best and give her what she needs in a way that no one else but you can do.

Or maybe you’ve uncovered your own affinity is planning and organization. Utilize it when your husband comes to you stating that he feels he is unable to complete a work project successfully on extremely short notice. Don’t spend time commiserating with him or giving him a “you can do it” TED talk. Help him plot out a working plan of action. Make a chart, write it down, create a timeline or whatever other special things you “organizers” do. (By the way, I envy you people. You are my missing puzzle piece in so many ways.)

Your career

Perhaps people envy your boldness, your ability to not only address the elephant in the room but lead him around in a sequined outfit. Remind yourself of your own power when you are faced with a problem in your job.

Maybe there is a toxic coworker who derails your work teams’ progress with negativity and poisons your entire group dynamic. Use your superpower. Confront the source of the venom and tell him or her respectfully how he or she is unraveling your progress on the job. (Trust me-wimps like me will likely worship at your feet for this action).

Perchance your strength is your compassion and you see that a worker is falling down on the job due to some personal issues at home. Ask him or her to eat lunch with you and let him or her air his or her emotions. Sometimes, just sharing the pain with another supportive person helps people get their lives back in perspective. And that brings a two-fold benefit: emotional relief for the worker in distress and workplace productivity when personal demons are laid to rest.

Your small but powerful part in our universe as a whole:

Our world right now is more racked with problems and anguish than ever before. Past scars and present viruses are ravaging our planet as a whole. And the call for change is louder than at any other moment in our shared existence on this earth. So, how do you help? Once again, activate your superpowers.

Want to put a lid on some of the damage that this pandemic is wreaking on our universe. Are you an artist who comes up with innovative solutions? Talk to local schools or businesses about ideas you have for moving forward into the outside world again with additional measures of safety and comfort. Are you the logical type? Discuss the erroneous ideas of those who remain deluded as to the repercussions of certain types of actions, those who may propose overly idealistic solutions or those who are foolishly naive to the ramifications that certain courses of action will breed. Again, as good old Uncle Ben cautions Spiderman, “with great power comes great responsibility,” so be delicate in your words but powerful in conveying your ideas. Because using your special gift may succeed in making faster positive change, eliminating wasted energy on doomed strategies, and even saving innocent lives.

What about the racial upheaval and societal conflicts pummeling our nation? Blessed with the gift of empathy and insight into human emotion? Use this ability to create union where there are divisions and hope where there is frustration. Have a flair for creating order out of chaos? Organize gatherings that are powerfully moving but controlled and planned to exact maximum benefit and minimal collateral damage. Blessed with the power to create enthusiasm? Remind flagging spirits what wonderful changes may occur if a plan of action is implemented. Gifted with a fearlessness that others lack? Talk to the “big dogs” in your company or your community and express your problems and needs with the zeal and daring that only you possess.

The bottom line

You are special. You. Are. Special. And while you may have many beautiful qualities, it is likely that a few medals on your uniform shine more brightly than the others. There’s a reason for that. Those are your superpowers. So go on now, what are you waiting for? Save your world, your loved ones’ worlds, and save thousands of strangers’ worlds as well.

And when you retire your cape at the end of this sometimes beautiful, sometimes tragic world, know that you have fulfilled your purpose. And know that someone somewhere is extremely glad you existed.

Emotional support/Psychologist

Mover and Shaker-makes the bold moves no one else wants to make

Logical Strategist/Planner and Organizer

Motivational Speaker

Creative/Artist

Name Your Gift — and then use it