Last weekend I re-watched “Unbreakable” with my fiancé. I don’t want to give away too much plot, in case you haven’t seen it, but what I will mention is a line that stuck in my head. One of the characters said something to the effect of: We live in desperate times, which scream out for heroes. They’re out there and likely not even aware of their superpowers.
As usual, this got me thinking … what if we over-romanticize the meaning of hero superpowers? For example, what if we discount our ability to make people feel better, because it’s not as immediate as wolverine healing himself on the movie screen, just seconds after being shot, or superman flying. Or what if we overlook our ability to refocus on the good rather than only condemning the bad. Is our expectation pattern matching making us miss the forest for the trees?
The reason why this movie resonated with me all these years ago when I first watched it is because I believe each of us has a superpower needed to transform the pain glut. If you haven’t found it keep looking. It took me 36 years to find mine and the journey has been more than worth taking. How do you know you found it? In my case, it’s a combination of faith and doubt. More specifically, I know that my superpower is encouragement, because I feel most alive when I do it and I believe I become a better version of myself the more I do it. Doubt shows up as periodic beat up thoughts of just who the hell I think I am to think I can encourage people.
I actually welcome this doubt, because I know as long as it’s with me, the purity of my intentions will stay intact. The moment I lose my sense of doubt, I’ll know my encouragement gift will become all about me and as such barren.
What is your superpower? What doubts hit you when you assert your superpowers?
