This picture spurred my thinking about a scientific research paper I wrote some time back. Although I’m a bit older (and maybe a bit wiser) than I was back then, one thing still holds true to me:
Whatever you do, put passion into it. You might inspire others, too!
What Is Super Power?
Super Power is something people often come to you to do. It’s something you excel at, in part because it’s a talent, but also because you enjoy doing it and do an amazing job at it.
Super Powers depend on three factors: Passion > Courage > Strength
It could be to take a small action each week, like share an uplifting comment on someone’s blog to make a big difference. At the very least, you’ll make a positive difference in the world doing something that makes you feel fulfilled.
Be Your Own Hero.
In my dissertation I wrote some time back on Travels Throughout The American Continent In Search of Identity I had put the focus on 20th century American writers who have created works in which travel occurs as an important part of the plot and theme. The so called roadworks all involve real or fictional characters who separate from (and explicitly or implicitly question) society and travel not merely for informative, economic or picaresque reasons or as an act of flight, but as a personal quest – for whatever frontier experience is available to them through this kind of travel.
Enlightening to me then, was a book on comparative mythology, The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell, in which he describes the monomyth as follows:
“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”
As you may know, Campbell’s work has been consciously applied by a wide variety of modern writers and artists, for example, in creating screenplays for movies. But back to us…
What is the boon you give to others?
I believe in finding and following the path that makes sense to you. You may find that you prefer to earn a living through something you don’t feel passionate about, and then leverage your Super Powers through your hobbies and free time. That isn’t inherently wrong. If that’s how you want to spend your time, then what’s right is to go with your own instinct. But if you sense that you’re not spending your days in a way that feels purposeful and fulfills you, find the courage to figure out what it is that would, and then do something about it today.
The best Super Power is the ability to be true to yourself.
As either their stated goal or as a result of their journeys, the character of travel fiction and roadworks I’ve analyzed, often experience a psychic renewal, along with a union with the land or the people, which allows them either to contribute more meaningfully to society upon their return, or to attain the wisdom and power necessary to remain permanently on society’s fringes.
If travel to the frontier is an analogue for the journey within, then it may be seen how society seeks to both classify and discourage this practice. The status quo is threatened by questers: in many ways it discourages and even sometimes aims to punish those who wish to be reborn as something other.
In the final paragraph of my research I concluded that, “[t]he metaphorical American frontier may thus be seen to be functioning as a kind of safety valve, just as some have argued that the real frontier did. Perhaps the general lack of critical attention to this genre is also indicative of society’s response to those who would question and sometimes attempt to heal the status quo through their travels and roadworks writing.”
Ultimately, don’t be discouraged by the attitude society reserves you because you were and still are a traveler – use the Super Power (the boon) you have acquired to make this society better.
Angela Maria Carlucci
Angela is a Communications Professional | Writer & Speaker | Managing Director | Entrepreneur
“Inspiring and empowering people is what I love doing, for I firmly believe everyone deserves to feel great at any time. Communication is my passion.” You can find her on Twitter @angelacarlucci