Have you ever noticed how negative our culture is? There's a constant circulation of questions in our mind such as,
"Why aren't I as creative as that person?"
"How is that person so brave all the time?"
"Why wasn't I born funny like them?"
All of these negative thoughts echo in our heads like we don't all contain characteristics that make us more than vital to this world. Everybody has characteristics that somebody else admires or wishes that they had. Some people are naturally courageous or easily independent. Others are consistently self-controlled or always curious.
All of these different characteristics make you who you are, so why focus solely on what you aren't?
Imagine if instead of focusing on what was wrong with yourself, you focused on what was right. Use your superpower and grow from it. Build on it. Become even better. Building on your already strong characteristics can make you happier, boost your confidence, and help you live a fuller life. There's a survey made from VIA Institute on Character that tells you exactly what your top characteristics are and how channeling them in different ways can reduce depression and increase your happiness.
This survey does a crazy good job at telling, and explaining, your top characteristics along with the ones you might not consider your strong-suit. Being aware of everything that is good and makes life worth living can enforce more positive psychology into your life and ultimately make you so much happier. The quiz lists 24 characteristics, in the order of what's most like you to least like you. Lets say you finish the quiz and look at the list and perspective is one of the characteristics closer to the bottom. From now on, you'll probably remember that and say "hey, you know maybe I should take a step back and look at this situation a little differently". See what I mean?
Not only will knowing your strengths help you to be happier and live a fuller life, but it can help grow your relationships as well. After realizing how important being aware of your strengths truly is, you'll start to pull out the incredible features in everybody you speak to. You'll begin to acknowledge how everybody has different specialties and appreciate not only your superpower, but theirs as well.
I think that appreciating other people's superpowers is something everybody should take a second to do more often. We don't often realize how loving somebody is, how enthusiastic they act, or how forgiving they always are, because we usually are too focused on whatever life-ruining situation is happening to us today. In order to get some people thinking about this, I asked a few friends who they admired and why. In their responses you'll see once again, everybody has their own admired superpower.
Response 1: "I admire my grandpa because he makes me feel like I matter when the world tells me different. He has never judged me but isn't afraid to correct me. He pushes me through anything and always puts the ones he loves first."
Superpower: love, wisdom, perspective
Response 2: "I admire my mom for being strong, smart, independent, successful, beautiful, funny, loving, and genuine."
Superpower: (lets face it, being a mom makes everything your superpower)
Response 3: "I admire my best friend because she deals with so much and still always finds the time to be there for other people but always tries to do more than shes capable of just because she genuinely cares."
Superpower: kindness, humility
I think the most beautiful part of this is that you can be whatever you want to be, wonderful people of the internet. There's no one saying that you can't be more prudent or zesty tomorrow. If you want zest to be your superpower, turn up the zest. If you want forgiveness to be your superpower, wake up tomorrow ready to start fresh.
So Odyssey readers... Who do you want to be? What's your superpower?
