Toronto, July 15, 2012
It’s the season to step back from the edge. It’s time to relax, think, talk, share, read, drink, barbecue, swim, and vacation. It’s also time to explore, recharge, and renew yourself. It’s time to look around you but also to look inside you and like what you see.
Summer and Urgent don’t belong in the same sentence. Summer and Important do. Important means it really matters. It means it has great consequences. It means discovering your Inner Superpower.
What if you discovered you had the power to transform the world around you by unleashing something within you? How would you feel? What would you do? Who would you help? What dreams would you make come true? What difference would that make to the people who you care about the most? It would be a beautiful thing, right?
You don’t have to be Batman, Iron Man, Black Widow or Spiderman to be a superhero. And you don’t have to visit your nearest cinema to get a taste of that kind of life. You just need to use your imagination and act out a great story. Today’s issue of the New York Times talks about the power of comic book artists to create Superheroes and inspire millions of readers. It’s their imagination and talent for storytelling that defines their success.
As a leading comic book artist, Robert Kirkman, creator of the Walking Dead, says, “the career goal you should have is for people to care enough about you to buy your own creations and support your own ideas.” Professional Success and happiness cannot be defined any better than that.
We are all being swamped with opportunity. There are so many new ways to multiply our impact, reach more people, sell more product, give more help, save more lives, see more videos and do more things. There always seem to be more things to do and less time to do them. The more power we are given, the less powerful we feel because we think we’re never doing enough. Wherever we are, we think we should be further. Too much of a good thing may not be a good thing.
But there are many people who are exercising their superpower. They are seizing their moments. They are living in their sweet spot. They are Focused, Skilled, Generous, Connected, Energized, Courageous, Mobile, and Playful.
In the last year, I have spoken to over 100 000 people in 19 countries. As president of Environics/Lipkin, I’m also informed by the Environics Social Values Monitor that tracks the core motivators driving people’s response to dynamic change. I study the people who are exercising their superpower. They are the ones who are playing full out. They are the ones who always seem to bring their A-Game. They are best in class because they have so much class. They’re everywhere. It’s not about what they do, it’s how they do it. They magnetize others because they are the people other people want to be around.
They represent about 10 percent of the population. I call them Everyday Superheros. They demonstrate Eight Amazing Traits. I believe we all share them. We just don’t use them. So this summer, be worthy of your gifts. Take on The Fall with your real power and grace. And by the way, not all Everyday Superheros demonstrate all the Amazing Traits. All it takes is one. So think about the Eight Amazing Traits I’m about to share with you and begin with one. Then make it two. Then make it three. If you can make it all the way to eight, all kudos to you. Pay them forward.
Here are the Eight Amazing Traits of Everyday Superheroes:
- Focus: pick the most important thing and complete it. Take a bite. Chew. Savour. Swallow. Take the next bite. Chew. Savour. Swallow. Take the next bite. Chew. Savour. Swallow. That’s how to eat very well. Be careful how much you put on your plate and don’t bite off more than you can chew. Right now, I’m creating this message. I’m not taking on anything else until it’s finished. And I’m not being sidetracked by what doesn’t count.
- Skill: be really good at what you do. Excellence is your ticket to play. Anything less cannot make the cut. Your stakeholders demand it and there are so many great providers ready to give it to them. So do what you do do well. Play to your strengths. Take them to the next level every day. Study, learn, practise. Then study, learn, practise some more. That’s why I’m creating this message. It’s how I study, learn and practise.
- Generosity: get pleasure from giving. Making others happy is the best way to be happy. All success is a direct reciprocation of our contribution to others and generosity multiplies reciprocity. Others value our authentic commitment to them. Their joy is magnified when they know much we enjoy creating it with them. That’s why I’m creating this message. Nothing gives me more joy than making you happy right now.
- Connection: make lots of true allies. We are only as good as the company we keep. Talking is the best medicine. Sharing is the best learning. Mutual promotion is the best way to build a great reputation. It may begin online but true allies are people with whom we physically spend time. So reach out and touch someone. Meet others more than half way. Go looking for conversations. Build your network any which way you can. Connect people with people and they’ll come looking for you.
- Energy: raise your capacity for action. Success is a numbers game. The more we do, the more mistakes we make, the more we adapt, the more we win. Life rewards us for action. It also tests us with failure, rejection, and disappointment. It will wear us down or sharpen us up. The greater our stamina and resilience, the greater our ability to endure and triumph. Take care of yourself so you can take never-ending action.
- Courage: Believe without proof. Courage takes you past the point that preparation takes you to. It’s where fear meets integrity. We know what we have to do and we do it. Our determination overcomes our doubt. We trust our inner superpower to pole-vault past our difficulties. We’re ready to be both amazed and amazing. By increasing the size of our hearts, we win the hearts of others.
- Mobility: flow freely. Comfort zones are for wimps. We need to morph into what the market demands. Who dares wins. We need to let go of what doesn’t serve us and embrace what does. The past is merely the platform for future success. Whoever travels light, travels farthest. The fast eat the slow. We’re all going where we’ve never been before. It’s a thrilling ride. Hold on tight and be prepared to let go at any time. We all have built-in parachutes.
- Playfulness: have fun, smile & laugh easily. Life is too serious to be taken too seriously, especially if people’s lives are not at stake. Self-righteousness and happiness are incompatible. Our biggest source of amusement should be ourselves. Laughing at oneself may be the best way to get others to laugh with us. Smiling is the most attractive way to arrange your face. It’s also the easiest way to instantly feel good. Smile and laugh easily and you’ll find a whole lot of people wanting to share your humour with you.
This summer, unleash your inner superpower. Become the Everyday Superhero you already are. Focus, Skill, Generosity, Connection, Energy, Courage, Mobility and Playfulness. You only need to demonstrate one of these Eight Amazing Traits to save your world or your community or your family, or your best friend or yourself. Remember, whoever saves even one life, has as it where, saved the world entire. To the world you may just be one person, but to one person you may just be the world.
