I’ve been a super hero all my life. It’s surprisingly easy. Super heroes in the comics and cartoons can take a bullet to the chest, crawl on the ceiling, fly. In reality, it’s not that hard. All you have to be able to do is something most others can’t. When we were young, my brother and I spent hours learning gymnastics from library books. A few years later, we could re-enact scenes from Power Rangers. We took out bumps and bruises. I think I almost broke my neck once trying a double-tuck, but everyone around us thought we were special because we could do things they had probably never seen their peers do.
Growing up, I got labelled the tech guy. If there was a problem involving technology, I’m the one who was called on to solve it. I should have thought to start charging early in life, I’d be rich by now. It’s not that I have some special tech training, I just know how to read a manual. Most people just don’t take the time. Of course, my interest in technology helps, but it doesn’t make me special. Of course, to many people, the fact that I can instantly solve their tech problems makes me a super hero.
A few years ago, I decided I was going to start working out. One of my primary goals was to be able to lift my oldest son above my head and put him on the top bunk. I quickly surpassed that goal and really got into the whole strength training and bodybuilding thing. Since then, I’ve moved twice and amazed my family with what I could move alone. My son is 8 and I could probably throw him across the room if I felt like it. The other day, I lifted the kids’ beds up with one hand so they could clean up underneath. They were absolutely amazed. I take every opportunity to show my kids something awesome to make sure they don’t forget their dad is a super hero.
The moral of the story is that it doesn’t take much for people to think you’re a super hero. It doesn’t take much for people to look to you as a leader or authority. You only need to know how to do one thing someone else can’t do. You only need to know one thing someone else doesn’t know. That automatically makes you an asset. Your personal development is key and you should enrich yourself on a daily basis, but don’t think that you need to know or be able to do everything before you can help others.
So, what are your super powers? What powers are you developing?