Superman, fly

Let's poke your imagination a little bit. Imagine a world where Clerk Kent never found out that he could fly, or where Albert Einstein never found out that he could use his megabrain to solve problems in physics that effectively changed our world. Imagine a world where Martin Luther King Jr. didn't discover that he had a powerful, commanding oratory that tangibly communicated a dream that changed the world. Imagine how stuck we will be, far back in the 16th century, had the Wright brothers not found their passion and followed their dream of making people fly, or Henry Ford didn't discover the art of manufacturing cars in large quantities and for the common man.

Just take a pause to think about people in history, who displayed such magnitude of genius and superpower, such staunchness in the face of problems and difficulty, in the face of lack of opportunities, lack of skills, and even lack of physical abilities and physical strength (point in case, Theodore Roosevelt and Helen Keller), how the world would be today without them, and how most of the convenience we experience today and problems that are now a thing of the past would never have been so if they hadn't discovered their superpowers.

Now imagine they even discovered their superpowers, and they never got around to using it tangibly because of excuses. The Wright brothers didn't have the means and resources to fly a plane. They could have decided not to bother and they'd have been justified. Afterall, there was Samuel Pierpont Langley who had the backing of the government and had all the grants and resources. They would have been justified to leave the whole venture altogether, and who knows, we might never have been able to fly that early, or even at all.

Imagine if Theodore Roosevelt caved in after suffering Polio and couldn't walk or do anything physical for years. He never would have become the President of America. Or look at Helen Keller, the girl who was became blind and deaf at 19 months old but still ahead to become an Author and a Lecturer, effectively communicating with the world.

Point is, many of these people had the excuses. Many of these people could have even decided not to explore their superpower and they never would have been asked. We never would have known we needed a car until Karl Benz invented the first one. We were just okay to plateau at horses and camels as a means of transport.

In spite of the excuses, these people found what they loved, found what they wanted to live for, and with courage, chased after it, not letting the lack of opportunities or strength deter them. They found their superpowers, and they utilised it to effectively change the shape of the world.

And they are not exceptions to the rule. They are not the only ones with superpowers. You have a superpower, and you know it. There is something you can do better than all the 10 people around you. There's a way you think that pieces apart problems better than other people. There's a voice you have that commands the ears of people. There's how your grasp information better than everyone around you. There's a way you show compassion. There's a way you laugh that causes other people to laugh. There's a way you connect with people that doesn't come easy for others. There's a way you use your pen or your speech, or your social media better than other people. There's a way you gather people around to go after a cause. There's a way you can convince people to part with their money. I can go on and on and on. There's that one thing that comes easy for you than it does for other people.

That is your superpower! What are you doing with it?!

Okay, let's say you've thought about it and can't seem to find something that you believe you can do better than others and that other people consistently compliment you, how about something you can spend every minute of everyday doing and not get tired? There's one thing you can do for 24 hours non stop even though you don't get paid for it. There's one thing you can be consistent in even when the conditions aren't favorable, even when other people give up, even when there's no mobilization fee that others are waiting for. There's one thing that doesn't make sense to you, something that pains you deeply and other people think you're just being extra. There's one thing you hate with passion and always say that you will eradicate if you ever had a billion dollars.

That is your superpower. And I ask again; What are you doing about it?!

You don't have the skill? You don't have the tools? You don't have data? You don't have inspiration? You aren't educated? I put it to you that you're not serious.

The world has evolved in such a way that excuses have been completely snuffed out. You will only find excuses when you frantically go in search of it. In today's world, you're more likely to find opportunities faster than excuses.

Is it skill you don't have? You can find them online for free! You can apply for scholarships to get them. Is it tools you don't have? Use the one you are using to read this newsletter. If you can't find the tools of other people you can use until you get better tools, use the one you have right now, no matter how terrible it might look. Be courageous enough to look like a novice. Be courageous enough to have a little beginning. Don't let the fear of little beginnings rob you of your superpower.

Is it inspiration you don't have? Find other people's inspiration, add one more spice to it and run with it. Stop waiting for inspiration. Go ahead without it and it will find you. Are you scared you're not good enough? You are probably right that you're not good enough, but the only way to start getting good is to start. Find the courage to start.

Live your life with courage, fun, and love. Don't be scared to make a fool of yourself. Learn to laugh at yourself. As long as you're using your superpower while you're at it, it'll end in your growth.

And to you who are yet to find your superpower and discover the reason you're here on this universe, it's actually okay. Everyone who has and are working out their superpower right now didn't know they had it at some point. However, what is not okay is not being in constant search for it.

You have a lot of pointers already in this newsletter. You can send an email if you need more guidance.

As you go in this week, think about your superpower, and how you can use it to affect your immediate environment tangibly.

That was what Pythagoras did when he discovered Maths. Even though we all don't like his invention, his superpower was a flex, because we still struggle to grasp it till today. Maybe your own superpower will be to even simplify it and become the new father of maths.

To your superpower,
To your growth,
Abiola Okunsanya,
Handzinspired. ✨