276. Your superpowers

"There's a feeling to it. You told us once that the most difficult thing for a photographer to capture is the essence and soul of the person in the photo. The photographer has to really care about the subject to do that. Otherwise, it just looks like a photo with a transparent wall in front of it. And the photo of that guy has that essence thing."

I sat for hours staring at this collection of pictures of me.  Yes, granted I'm sexy...kidding.

Kinda.

But I stared at them because there was something in me that was connecting to them.  I truly do hate pictures...I believe that I do not photo well but for some reason, I got lost in these ones.  This amazing collection of pictures, only two of which I actually put up, spoke to me in a way that I never had heard before.  What it said to me was that although I may have an idea of how I look or who I am...it may not match that what others see of or in me.

I think this is the bigger lesson.  I believe that we all walk around thinking that we are these separate little beings that are unaffected and living in our own worlds.  This leads to us having our set beliefs about ourselves and set expectations from ourselves.  Good or bad...these beliefs result in distorted thinking that closes us off to the gifts that we have and the gifts that other recognize in us.  I couldn't tell you the number of times that I've been complimented and simply shrugged it off in disbelief.  Telling myself, "oh yeah...they are just saying that to be nice..." Yet, how twisted is it that I would hold onto my own distorted beliefs of myself, beat myself up, and hold onto the insults that others would throw at me instead?  How many of you are guilty of that?  

It's time to recognize the gifts and beauty that others can see in you.  It's time to own the superpowers that you have... be it, listening well, a willingness to help, supporting others, having a beautiful smile, having insatiable drive and hunger or a firm handshake and the ability to give someone a kick in the ass when they need it.  Own the things that others feel and see in you.  Respect their opinion and hold it as true as the times that you hold onto your own jacked up voice.  Because it is just as valid and real.  Be your own hero.