It’s pretty amazing when you meet someone for the first time. There could be something you remember or the whole conversation could be forgotten.
So it was with Kathy.
It was a coffee meeting on a Saturday morning. Not the most remarkable time of the day or week, but one I will never forget. And it wasn’t the opening or the parting I remember. It was a fun conversation and a very good and enlightening first-time conversation. However, it became memorable when about three-quarters of the way into it, she said:
“My superpower is that I can pick a typo out of a full page of type. It just jumps off the page for me.”
Hmmm.
I liked the fact that she knew her “superpower”– you know, that strength or ability we all have that just comes naturally to us that few others around us has. The fact that she recognized her gift AND was able to articulate it made it all that more meaningful. Truth is, I can still remember her expression, her smile, how she held her hands out to emphasize the act, the whole moment.
OK, so beyond the impact this woman has had on me personally, let’s stop for a moment and understand the gift she is giving us here: be aware of what your skills and abilities are. This is a person who loves what she does as her life’s work and revels in all of the things it takes to make that work successful (and, in turn, make her successful). We should all strive to do things we love to do, have passion for and want to get up every morning to do. That is a gift you should give to yourself that will turn into a gift to those around you.
As author Marsha Sinetar wrote in Do What You Love, The Money will Follow–Discovering Your Right Livelihood, that recognition of these special skills and the desire to be driven by passion will transform your life. Kathy lives that everyday and is an example we should emulate. Yes, it takes a lot of energy, but better to spend that energy on work you love than on work that matters less to you.
So recognize your superpower and then act on it so you know what it means. It will transform you.
Relentless
