As we struggle to emerge from these long months of pandemic, it can be challenging to find the strength to keep going. It’s not just the constantly shifting COVID protocols, there’s our work situations; our finances; and our living conditions, which for many of us keep changing and morphing—sometimes into non-existence. And there are the continual stresses of our family life, as kids do (or don’t) make it to school; whether online or in person; and it’s hard to have any kind of stable routine, whether you have five children, none, or are single.
Factor in the climate crises—hot/cold/fires/hurricanes/floods—and the political/social chaos pretty much everywhere in the world, and it’s enough to make even the strongest among us want to crawl down to the bottom of the bed under the covers and stay there until it’s all over. Which is, at this rate, highly unlikely.
So pull out your Superpower. Yeah, right, uh-huh. As if leaping tall buildings in a single bound or throwing a punch of white light could do anything for you. Ah, but that’s not what a Superpower is necessarily or what a Superpower can be. Let me give you an example.
Sebbie Hall, 17, has a rare chromosome anomaly, which at one time looked like it would make it impossible for him to ever walk or talk. Despite Sebbie’s learning difficulties, among which is a difficulty in finding words, he’s a normal English teen in many ways. Disappointed that his good friend couldn’t communicate with him as the pandemic started, Sebbie wanted to give his friend his own iPad. Sebbie’s mom had a better idea: why not raise money so his friend, and others like him, could get what they needed during these rough times.
But how? Sebbie’s not a celebrity, doesn’t have a unique musical or another such talent, and is differently-abled, which often makes approaching others dicey. But then Sebbie thought “I can be kind,” and to date, has performed over 1,600 acts of kindness, from walking neighbors’ pets to washing cars, handing out PPE, giving coats to the homeless, and even collecting unwanted Halloween pumpkins so they could be turned into soup and pies for the needy. This, Sebbie declared, was his Superpower: kindness. With it, Sebbie has raised via crowdfunding approximately $39,000 with which to help others in need.
What’s your Superpower? I know what mine is: appreciation. Once I stumbled into the enormous power of appreciation and realized I could appreciate something, somewhere, at any time and any place, regardless of what was going on in my life, I had it. Appreciation is most definitely my Superpower. Nope, I can’t leap over tall buildings with it, but I can appreciate tall buildings and those who do leap. Turning to appreciation no matter what has been my saving grace, and appreciating others purposefully has brought many a smile to many a face.
How about you? What Superpower might you claim as your own? You may surprise yourself with what comes up for you, and then with just how wonderful claiming—and using—your Superpower can be.
Dr. Noelle Nelson
Through her years as a psychologist, author and seminar leader, Dr. Noelle Nelson has empowered countless individuals to be happier, healthier and more successful at work, at home and in relationships.
Dr. Nelson shares her proactive and positive outlook in all her books, articles, interviews, seminars and consulting practice. Her books include Dangerous Relationships: How to Identify and Respond to the Seven Warning Signs of a Troubled Relationship(Amazon), which established her as a relationship expert. Her latest book, Phoenix Rising - Surviving Catastrophic Loss: Fires, Floods, Hurricanes and Tornadoes (Amazon), explores the trauma of losing a lifetime of possessions in a disaster, how to survive the immediate aftermath and how to find the strength to start anew.
Born in Manhattan to a French mother and an American dad, Dr. Nelson, at the ripe old age of six months, came to Southern California where she currently resides. Travel is a cherished pastime, which Dr. Nelson enjoys whenever her schedule permits. Other interests include voracious reading (mysteries and historical fiction are favorites) and ballroom dancing (she competes all around the country).
Dr. Nelson holds advanced degrees in clinical psychology from the United States International University (M.A., Ph.D.), and sociology degrees from the University of California at Los Angeles (B.A.) and the Sorbonne, Paris (Maitrise, Doctorat 3eme Cycle). She is a licensed clinical psychologist.
Listen to her twice-monthly podcast “Up! Uplifting, Inspiring, Practical” on Spotify, Google Podcasts and on YouTube. www.noellenelson.com, @drnoellenelson, https://www.facebook.com/MeetTheAmazings
