Who Are You Being?

Embracing Your Super Power

I loved super-heroes growing up. Wonder Woman, Cat Woman and Superman were some of my favourites. While I enjoyed dressing up and pretending to be one I never thought I'd actually meet one - until last week.

I was out for dinner with my son and we started talking to the waiter. He had long braided hair, various body decorations and kind, focused eyes.

We asked his name and he said Thor.

I said Thor? As in T-H-O-R? Like the God of Thunder?

Without flinching he said yes, maintaining the strength and super-power of his gaze. In response to our questions he raised our awareness about the depths of Brazilian music, the benefits of not cutting your hair and the nuances of different languages. He left an impression.

A few days later, we were sitting at a local market and Thor walked past.

This time he was dressed in a tunic, boots with buckles up the back, and a thick leather belt around his middle. He carried his child with one arm while the other swung free. He walked purposefully, upright and with a type of grace. He caught our eye as we looked toward him and as he strode along, personifying strength, presence and power, he raised his hand, nodded our way, and kept on walking.

He didn't say anything but we knew we'd been seen.

Afterwards, I reflected on the feeling Thor had left me with - an ordinary person, doing an ordinary job, completely embracing the truth of who he was. He personified the God of Thunder. He didn't need to say much to leave an impression - his superpower lay in his authenticity.

Meeting Thor embedded within me an important lesson.

Who you are being is more important than the words you are saying.

When you are being your true and authentic self, expressing who you are called to be, you develop a super-power. You hold yourself with grace, elegance and power. You don't need to say much - your presence is felt through your energy.

In her book The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown says:

"Authenticity is the daily practise of letting go of who we think we're supposed to be and embracing who we are."

This can be easier said than done - particularly if you have been who you think you're supposed to be for a very long time. You've been trained to fit in, to comply, to follow the rules, to be nice and to let others go first. All this training creates layers that, just like an onion, need to be peeled back to reveal the true essence of who you are.

It can be challenging revealing yourself but it can also be extremely worthwhile because it's the process that leads you to becoming your own super-hero.

Consider adopting practises that enable you to continually reflect and get to know your authentic self. Where do you feel most in flow? What lights you up? Who are you with when you feel most fully self expressed? What clothes, accessories, hairstyles, body decorations and artefacts most closely express who you are?

Embracing your true essence is where you find your power, strength and grace. So keep going in pursuit of self-understanding. Perhaps you're not called to be Thor, the God of Thunder, or Selene, the goddess of the sun or perhaps you are? You won't know unless you look deeper into yourself.

Finding the warrior, goddess or super-hero within, whatever that feels like for you, and embracing and expressing that aspect of yourself authentically is one way to develop your own special, unique and awesome super-power.