What’s Your Superpower?

“You are only as limited as your imagination” — Benny Bellamacina

I remember at age 6, I had just finished reading my one and only Superman comic. Instantly, I was inspired, invigorated and influenced to go grab my blanket to tuck into the back of the shirt I was wearing as well as a pair of matching red underwear to wear over my pyjama pants which were a couple sizes too big (obviously my older brother’s).

Superman cape? Check.

Superman undies? Check.

Mom’s still outside watering the garden? Check.

I couldn’t help myself as I ran full throttle into the front of the house to find my mother as I yelled the words:

“Mom! Look at me! I’m Superman!”

“Son.. What on earth are you wearing?”

“Mom! It doesn’t matter. I’m going to save the world!”

“That’s great son. When you’re done. Can you please change out of that costume?”

“Ok mom. Let me save the world first”.

Oh boy did I not realize at that point in time how much of a profound effect the words “let me save the world” would have on me as I had gotten older..

But like many others.. I got told during both high school and university:

“You? Save the world? Ha! Go get a real job. Get your head out of the clouds. You’re an adult. Think realistic young man. The only people who save the world or change the world for that matter are people with money like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet”.

Perhaps I was incredibly stubborn at the time but I never listened to these condescending words. In fact, my very own brain registered anything which made me feel less than significant to be part of the “club” noise that so many choose to accept as being the status quo. That club? The club of mediocrity and conforming to others telling you what to do instead of you leading your own life and deciding on “who” you want to be.

“You are a human BEing not a human DOing” — Marie Forleo

And so I went on in life… I got my university degree in Mechanical Engineering but happened to start a personal training fitness business in my final year of university, which of course was unrelated to the degree I was studying BUT I needed a much more strategic approach to being able to pay for my mortgage and stumbled across one of the very first AHA moments which had changed my life moving forward. That AHA moment entailed me realizing a multitude of discoveries all at once:

1) Being self-employed allowed me to have further leverage of my time. Hence, allowing me to charge more per hour of work. Working less and earning more felt incredible at 22 years of age.

2) I can earn a living doing what I love which was helping people discover the intangible benefits of lifestyle fitness in order to help bring out the best in them. Both emotionally and physically.

3) Work doesn’t feel like work if it is based around your core strengths and passions. My core strength was motivating and inspiring people to make a long lasting lifestyle change. Fitness just happened to be the vehicle of choice I was most passionate about at the time which allowed me to share the message which was most congruent with WHO I was.

So what did I do? I took a “gap” year off after I had graduated from university to focus entirely on my fitness business. Everyone called me crazy. Everyone.

They called me an idiot. They laughed at me at parties and close-knit gatherings and yet it puzzled me.. because I was earning 300% more than what my fellow classmates were being offered in their graduate positions and I was ten times happier because I had a phenomenal lifestyle so I just ignored their less than credible words and continued doing what I love most… and that was helping people help themselves and to be of service to those who are in need of becoming the best person they can be.

However, after trying to put up with all the nonsense I was hearing left, right and center.. I had reached my tolerance threshold.. I made the decision to run my fitness business part time and had chosen to take up a full-time engineering job which had provided me with a salary which was.. average.. a job that had glued my eyes to Microsoft excel.. and an occupation which was nowhere near exhilarating as I realised any monkey could have performed the job I had. No degree was required and unfortunately this is the trap a lot of university graduates embrace as the norm (another blog post in itself).

Moreover, I thought to myself: “5 years of university for this? Surely there’s more to life”.

As I looked over my shoulder only to see my boss watching me like a hawk as he himself tried persistently to not fall asleep at the wheel of life.

Eventually, the only thing I ever looked forward to was seeing my fitness clients at the gym. Every end to the working day at the 9–5 job was like a mini celebration in itself as I rushed to my car in the car park to change from one uniform to another all excited to leave the premises. It felt like a re-run of Prison Break every time.

2 years later. I read the book “The Four Hour Workweek” by Tim Ferris and that was it. That ignited the flame within me letting me know that there is in fact a better way of living your life. Living a life filled with passion and immense joy and not struggling to get out of bed every morning.

Soon enough, I announced to both myself and the world that I had enough of dealing with Microsoft Excel 8–9 hours a day that I went back to running my fitness business full-time whilst starting up a multitude of other online businesses on the side to expand my horizons and develop new “real world” skills which had actual “real world” application.

And although I chose to leave my fitness business after 4 years to focus on my marketing strategy consultancy firm among other business ventures. I have never looked back in the field of entrepreneurship. But had I not realized what my true strengths and passions were (i.e. for me it was bringing out the best in people not bringing out the best in spreadsheets).

Then I wouldn’t have developed the courage to follow my heart which many of us forget lies the greatest compass for guiding us to ultimate freedom and happiness.

You see.. we have built a fearful society which is based on scarcity instead of true abundance.

“I’ve got it. You can’t have it”

“It’s mine. Not yours”

“Do as you are told or else..”

Yada yada yada..

And one of the most common rituals within this society is asking the question: “What are your weaknesses. Don’t worry about your strengths for now. Focus.. on.. your.. weaknesses”.

Now don’t get me wrong. Knowing your weaknesses is a contributing factor to mastering self-awareness BUT just acknowledge your weaknesses, realize that they are constant reminders for us to know what we have to delegate and then go back to leveraging your strengths. Period.

So.. Let me ask you..

1) Are you crystal clear in knowing what your “superpower” (I.e. Core strength) is? Hint: I guarantee it is something you can do better than pretty much anyone in your network and you possess the ability to execute it like it is second nature.

2) WHAT are you most passionate about? Combine that with the above mentioned “superpower” and you’d be amazed at the type of future you can create for yourself.

3) WHO do you want to be? Not sure yet? Don’t stress. Just take notice of “who” it is you look up to and find highly admirable and read deeper into what their behavioural traits are and soon enough you will notice some remarkable patterns along the way.

Thanks again for reading this post and feel free to share what your “superpower” is in the comments box below.

Long live the super hero in all of us.