When I was introducing the theme of I AM/ INIMITABLE last month, I referenced the quote “No one is you, that is your super power” and today I wanted to elaborate on that a bit. I am curious- have you taken the time to think about your unique super powers and how they might contribute to your world- both big picture World and also your everyday sphere of influence? I am often so busy wondering if I am living up to my (sometimes realistic) expectations and standards or to “fix” my weaknesses that I don’t stop to acknowledge my strengths- even those strengths that are occasionally a double edged sword. So today I wanted to share a few of what I consider to be my individual gifts or “superpowers” and I really hope I’ll hear from some of my readers either in the comments or in another way of reaching out about what YOUR superpowers are.

*Passion- being ALL IN: Sometimes it takes me a really long time to make a decision about things because I really want to research and gather all the information before committing- part of that is because once I do commit I am all in. It took me a LOT of back and forth committing to each race I’ve signed up for, each show I auditioned for or agreed to direct, etc. etc. but once I felt like I had the lightbulb moment of knowing that was what I was doing I was all in on doing it well and giving it my enthusiasm, even when it was HARD. I know a lot of people live by the motto “if it’s not a hell yes it’s a hell no” but for me there are a lot of things that don’t start out as a hell yes, but a “maybe” and it is making the decision to go from maybe to yes that suddenly makes them a “hell yes” I even TRY (not always sucessfully) to do everyday things with passion- the TV shows I have themed parties around, the dance parties around household chores, the absolutely obsessive reading to the

This is a quote from Brene Brown’s new book Atlas of the Heart and really explains how empathy is a blessing and a struggle

end of a book etc. Things that might seem boring to other people but are deeply fascinating to me because I have SO MUCH passion for them.

*Empathy/feeling all the feelings: Passion isn’t the only thing I feel deeply. I feel ALL THE THINGS ALL THE TIME. This is definitely one of those super powers that is a double edged sword. This superpower fuels my creative work as well as my parenting, my fundraising efforts for important causes, and much of my writing. On the other hand, it can be exhausting both for myself and the people around me. I cry a LOT- over sentimental commercials, books, news stories, my own deep anxieties, struggles a friend is going through, etc. It took a lot of therapy to learn not to take on other people’s emotions as my responsibility and to respect my own need for boundaries while still keeping my heart soft enough to use my superpower. It is still a balancing act, but I still believe it is one of the strongest superpowers and greatest blessings I have.

*Persistence: This persistence is something that has grown from the hard work of turning my struggles with perfectionism into something far healthier. I used to constantly strive for perfect (I still do sometimes, it is an ongoing battle being a recovering perfectionist) but now I persist in little by little actions and I let time and consistency carry me along instead of trying to smash through every goal and often ending up shattering myself in the process. I like to think of the difference like the difference between scrubbing at a dirty pot that has food stuck in it vs. letting it soak first- something my friend Owen expands on really well in this blog post.

*Love of learning and SHARING what I’ve learned: In 20202 I took an online course on The Science of Happiness and part of that course was taking this survey which talked about finding and using your “signature strengths” and while “LOVE” was at the top, three others in my top five all fell under the subject of “wisdom” and they were perspective, love of learning, and curiosity. Now, the fact that I found this survey by taking an

I will admit that sometimes I am both… but strive to be curious far more often!

online course for fun means that you are probably not surprised that love of learning came up as a top strength, but I love that my love is fueled by curiosity. I find such joy when I can explore things I am curious about- both subjects I can research and things about myself or others that make me curious. I LOVE LOVE LOVE learning new things whether that be for free via my public library or online youtube tutorials (aka how I’m teaching myself banjo at the moment), or through the amazing birthday gift I got last year of Masterclass or learning one one one through coaching- be that in art, sport, or another language! I JUST LOVE TO LEARN!! and the other part of this super power is that I love sharing what I learned, especially if I can share that through my writing or storytelling. I think it is another reason why I love theatre- the subject matter is so vast that I can find myself researching history and poetry for one play and social sciences and sport  for another and astronomy for another and then share that with an audience. It is why I can’t help but be a reading addict of both fiction and nonfiction. It is also one of the main reasons I keep writing this blog even now that blogging is terribly old fashioned and quick tips on social media seem are all the rage. I love a good quick tip, but even more I love a deep dive of learning about something and reflecting on it. I clearly have a ton to say about this and am starting to think that maybe this needs to be its own future post… but in the meantime…

I want to hear about your superpowers. Are you an amazing listener? Do you have a gift for connecting people? Explaining something complex in a unique, understandable way? Making people laugh? If you are feeling stuck I highly suggest taking the survey linked above to get you started!