Have you ever dreamt of having the power to save people, animals, plant life, – the world?

Have you thought about what you would do if you had the powers of Superman or Wonder Woman?

Well, we might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but we all have superpowers.

They are not the superpowers made up of magic. Though what we can do with them is surely magical.

Our superpowers are not connected to our muscles, though they provide us with the strength of the best of strong men.

Their location, in fact, is difficult to define, as our superpowers are contained within our minds.

Scientists have traditionally tried to define the mind as the product of brain activity, but growing evidence suggests that the mind goes beyond the physical workings of the brain.

The mind holds a collection of cognitive faculties including perception, thinking, consciousness, judgement, language and memory. It holds our thoughts, our beliefs, our attitudes, feelings and imagination. And it has superpowers.

When we tap into our main superpower – choice – we unlock the door to other superpowers that can be life-changing for us and for others.

HOW TO TAP INTO YOUR SUPERPOWERS

So, how do you tap into that main superpower?

The first step is recognising that you have it, choice that is. In every circumstance, even those outside of your control, you have choice – the choice of how to react.

That is your main superpower and no one can take it from you.

Recognising the awesomeness of this superpower comes at a cost though. It means you also have to take responsibility for your reactions and stop blaming circumstances and other people.

However, the rewards are huge. They include happiness, success, inspiration and, most importantly, the key to unlocking your other superpowers.

Consider this. The first thing that comes following each event is thought. Thought precedes every action and feeling. When you learn to become the master of your thoughts, your world changes.

We all have the power to take control of our thoughts. It can take hard work and lots of practice, but it can be done.

The first step is to really pay attention to your thoughts. Stand back and objectively listen to what you are thinking.

Ask yourself if any given thought is helpful – to you or others.

Does it sound pessimistic or hopeful?

Does it sound judgmental or accepting?

If it’s a thought about someone else, ask yourself how you would feel if someone was thinking that thought about you. Would it make you happy? Angry? Sad?

If that thought doesn’t make you feel uplifted or proud, use your superpower – choice – and change it.

When you do this regularly you’ll find the first thoughts that come to you will be different from the ones that used to invade you after any given event.

THE KEY TO UNLOCKING YOUR SUPERPOWERS

You may find that first step takes a lot of hard work and practice, but once you’ve achieved that you are rewarded with the key to unlocking your other superpowers.

These powers include:

BELIEF SYSTEMS

With the freedom that comes with the power of choice, comes the freedom to break away from beliefs that harm you and others. Even those you have held strongly your entire life can be changed if you decide they no longer serve you.

UNDERSTANDING

When you recognise and acknowledge your own superpower of choice, you understand that everyone has this power. Therefore, their reactions are a result of choices they have made. This is a very handy understanding to have because it can save you from hurt when someone is cruel or rude. Their actions say more about them than they do about you.

JUDGEMENT

When you have embraced your main superpower you will not feel the need to judge others. You will respect that everyone has these superpowers but not all choose to use them. And that doesn’t matter, because your own superpowers keep you strong.

JUMPING HURDLES

Using the superpower of choice means you won’t allow hurdles to stop you from achieving success. You’ll find a way to jump them, just as Superman jumps those tall buildings in a single bound. In fact, instead of being stymied by obstacles, you’ll be thrilled by alternatives because you will have opened your mind to all the possibilities.

MAKING CHANGE

By unleashing your main superpower you will realise that everything you do makes a difference and with that realisation, you have the power to create change where it’s needed.

JOY

The power of choice means you can choose happiness, regardless of your circumstances.

Consider South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner and philanthropist Nelson Mandela (18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013). He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1962 and spent 27 years living in a tiny cell.

Mandela could have given in to despair (I’m sure he had his moments) and given up on life but came out determined to make a difference and went on to become the first black president of South Africa and a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

He talked about discovering life and joy when he was in a prison. He used his superpower – choice – to master his thoughts so he could go on to make a huge difference to the world.

 

I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.

Nelson Mandela

As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.

Nelson Mandela

There are countless stories of people who chose to use their superpowers to rise above their circumstances. Each and every one of us has that option.

Now is as good a time as ever to unleash your superpowers, so what are you waiting for?

Wishing you a heroic and gleeful week (and year), Tamuria.