The 9 reasons why we don't own our superpowers

“Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will spend its whole life believing it is stupid.” - Albert Einstein.

You were born in to this world with a unique set of talents, gifts and abilities that no one else has. These are unique and inherent to you. These are your superpowers!

Everybody matters

Part of your life purpose is to power up and unleash those superpowers for the benefit of others. It is not only beneficial them but hugely beneficial to you too. Indeed, your zone of genius is the place where your purpose, your passion and your superpowers collide. As Ive said before, quite simply the world needs you to unleash those superpowers of yours.

"We ask ourselves - who am I to be brilliant, gifted, talented, fabulous?" - Marianne Williamson.

When the world needs us to be fully who we are, and we are great big brilliant lights of talent and giftedness, why do not see and own our superpowers?

"Im not gifted..."

Here are 9 reasons that get in the way of you discovering and using those powers.

• We are conditioned from a very early age to believe that we are not special or gifted. We are told that we are too lazy, or other negative programming. We simply dont see our gifts, talents and superpowers.
• We live in a society that only truly recognising and rewards "world-class" or "outstanding" talent. Therefore, what if you are not world class at something? We only have to look at X Factor on a Saturday night to see people with gifts clamouring for attention and adulation. As a society we seem to reward superpowers with fame, fortune and the celebrity lifestyle, rather than truly seeing it for what it is.
• When we do recognise an outstanding talent, the degree of pressure can be ridiculously high. Yes, it takes dedication to develop your superpowers but the sheer amount of external pressure that can mount, expecially on kids who may not want to do the very thing that they are gifted at.
• We mustn’t get too big for our boots either. To really unleash your superpowers to their greatest extent, you have to really own them, you have to be confident using them. Yet so often, especially in the UK, people who are confident using their superpowers are often denigrated and criticised. We see them as “cocky” or “arrogant”.
• Being gifted or seeing yourself as gifted can set you apart from people.  As human beings we do not like to be different, alone, outstanding. It can simply be too uncomfortable and would rather conform and play small.
• It is all about marketing. Very often the rewards don’t go to those who want the most gifted in their chosen craft but rather those are gifted in marketing and promotion. Or, those that have the loudest voices or the greatest chutzpah. Therefore it is not enough to have superpowers alone.  You need to get your mojo on!
• There are not necessarily the opportunities to use our superpowers. It may simply be that we find it hard to, for example, find a job where we can utilise all our gifts and abilities. That is why we are seeing an increasing trend in in internets – based entrepreneurship and purpose based small business.  These people are simply creating their own opportunities to unleash their strengths.
• We don’t actually understand what superpowers truly are or how to measure them. Being gifted can have little to do with the degree or the qualifications that you have. The thing is that you have a unique set of abilities that in combination make you world class at something. They make you world class at your life purpose.
• We do not understand the true reward of having superpowers. We think it is for the external reward, and yet the true gift to us is the opportunity to give them to other people. When you use your superpowers for the benefit of others, your self esteem and self confidence increase, your feeling of well-being increases, and you just get out of your own way because you are not focused on your own drama.  You are focused on contributing and creating rather than consuming.

Time to unleash your superpowers

If you are going to live a truly meaningful life, you have to not only know why you’re here i.e. your purpose, but you have to know what your superpowers are and you have to be able to really own them and express them. Bringing your reason for being to the world is the true reward. It is not an easy to do, but boy is it worth it.

The ability to live life on your terms, using your superpowers in ways are meaningful to you and ways that help others. There is no greater gift.

Leave a comment below and tell us what your superpowers are that you have been hiding!