I’ve always wanted to be a superhero, but when my older brother and I used to play superheroes, I had to be the women and the villains.  Perhaps in my brother’s subconscious the two were linked.

Nowadays, I can have superpowers without playing the women and the villains.

No, I’m not talking about the superpowers I had in the mental hospital.  I’m talking about real honest-to-goodness superpowers we all have.

Being a superhero is normal.  Well, maybe not that normal.  But it is natural.

I recently learned a little bit about our superpowers from attending an online workshop with Mary Morrissey.  It was called “Unlocking Your 6 Extraordinary Superpowers.”

What are those superpowers? Imagination, Intuition, Will, Memory, Reason, Perception.

They may not seem like superpowers to you, but used the right way, they can be.

Imagination

Mary taught that we use imagination like a superpower by picturing something we would love to have in our lives, even if we don’t know how to bring it about.

So here I go: I’m picturing myself supporting myself comfortably as a full-time creative writer.

Intuition

According to Mary, intuition is a superpower we use to access solutions that we can’t access using the rational mind.

She gave us an exercise.  Imagine that you’re at a crossroads trying to decide what direction to go.  Take one of the options, and imagine yourself going down that road for 6 months.  There will be many unknowns.  Pay attention to your energy.  How do you feel?  Now imagine yourself going down another road for 6 months.  What is your energy like following this course?

Mary said that our energy will never lie to us.  One of these roads will feel better than the other, if only slightly.

I tried it.  I imagined myself self-publishing a book on mental illness, a romantic comedy, and a children’s book.  Route #1 left me feeling like I was soaring.  Route #2 left me feeling warmly loved.  Route #3 left me feeling even.

As tough as it is to choose between soaring and being loved, I think route #1 is the place to start.

Will

Mary made a distinction between the superpower will and willpower.  She said willpower is like holding a beach ball under water.  You can’t do it forever.  Will on the other hand is calmly and regularly taking an action that moves us toward our dreams.

I thought my action should be getting up in the morning and writing, but that’s too challenging. Instead, I’m visualizing myself getting up first thing in the morning and writing. The more I visualize it, the more likely I will do it.

Memory

The most interesting application of a superpower in the workshop was memory.  When we use memory as a superpower, Mary taught, we cultivate a memory from the future.  We imagine our dream as reality, and memorize what that looks and feels like.  Then we hold on to that feeling and live it.

I imagined myself writing daily, and feeling well-rested, alive, profoundly productive, secure, free, and happy.  I had a deep sense of accomplishment and peace.  Wouldn’t it be amazing to live from that feeling?  What could I accomplish?

Reason

Mary explained that when we use reason as a superpower, we’re using extraordinary reason.  Her explanation reminded me of faith.  We reason that our dream is possible even if we don’t know how to make it happen.

The questions Mary asked us to answer were: Is our dream based on what we think we should want? Or is it something we would truly love even if we don’t know how to bring it about?

I have no doubt that making my living as a creative writer is something I would truly love.  And I don’t know how to bring it about.  This dream passes the test.

Perception

Perception is our interpretation of reality.  Mary taught that we often act as if our perception of reality is reality, even though it’s not.

She asked that we think about the story we have been telling ourselves about why our dream is not our reality.  Using perception as a superpower, we need to create a new story supporting our dream.

What was my old story?  I don’t have enough resources—time, money, energy, knowledge, support—to pursue my dream.  What’s my new story?  I have everything I need to pursue my dream.  I can make my dream a reality.

Now that I know about my superpowers and how to use them, it’s time for me to be a superhero and save myself.

How about you?

What is your dream?  How can you see yourself using your superpowers to transform your dream into a reality?  Share in the comments.