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Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Become a Superhero! #HAWMC

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If I could have any superpower, what would it be?

All I could think about was, “well, that’s wishful thinking.” And it is. We are never going to have superpowers. We will never be able to control the weather, read other people’s thoughts, or time travel.

But that seems pretty pessimistic for a “cup half full” kind of girl like me.

While maybe we will never have superpowers and be able to fly, with our arms as wings, across a starlit sky, we can be super heroes every single day. And it’s simpler than you might think.

Since we cannot demand ourselves into invisibility or shoot out spider webs from our fingers so that we can climb mountains, we’re going to have to work a little harder than your average superhero. But hard work builds character and in this case, superhero characters.

Join me as I give the secrets to becoming a superhero in just a few simple steps:

Superpower #1- X-Ray Vision

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Unfortunately, I cannot give you the secret to seeing through actual walls, although maybe the military can help you with that.

But down here on our level, we can have X-Ray Vision in our focus. How many times have you hit a wall when trying to reach a goal? We all know that I seem to have hit a wall in my weight loss over the past year. But the single force that has kept me going is my X-Ray Vision. I can see right through those walls and picture myself thin, fit, and as an athlete. 

How to access this superpower: Focus.

Superpower #2: Super Strength

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You may never be able to lift a car, but you can certainly carry more groceries into the house than your husband! Strength training is something that I need to work on. I have goals to start picking up those dumbbells a lot more often, but I often work my arms by carrying in heavy loads of groceries into the house. It’s a challenge to see how much I can lift and handle. Hubby laughs at my ability to bring in a full load of groceries into the house in one trip.

There is no reason why a woman cannot lift weights and become toned and sleek. Anyone else want Michelle Obama’s arms? How do you think she got them? Strength training.

How to access this superpower: Lift whatever you can. And if you want to get more serious, invest in dumbbells. Craigslist is a great place to find a good deal!

SuperPower #3: Super Speed

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As humans, we can’t get faster without consistency in training. I am currently a superhero in training in this category. But what I can tell you, is that when I am consistent in running, I have been able to run faster than I ever thought possible for myself. No, that doesn’t mean I am cranking out 5 minute miles. but when my average time for a mile was over 15 minutes in high school and I have run one in just over 11 minutes, that’s super speed for me! And to imagine where I will be if I continue to be consistent. This is true for whatever activity you want to become more efficient in. Consistency creates efficiency. And remember, compete only with yourself. Your best is good enough.

How to access this superpower: Consistency.

SuperPower #4: Super Stretching Ability

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I don’t know about you, but I think the picture above sure looks like some of the Yoga moves I’ve seen! Mr. Fantastic has obviously been practicing his yoga in his spare time. And so can you!

How to access this superpower: Practice yoga.

SuperPower Ability #5: Can Climb Walls

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For me, this super power will require stepping out of my comfort zone. But when we want to climb a wall, metaphorically or literally, we have to step outside of our comfort zone. We will never climb a wall if we don’t try! I metaphorically climbed a wall this past weekend when I ran 4 miles for the first time. I literally want to climb a wall someday, the rock climbing type. I have memories in high school of trying to climb the rock wall and I could not do it. I felt ashamed and defeated. Someday, I will try to climb that wall again! And mind you, I will be well tied off. But in the mean time, I’m climbing more metaphorical walls than literal ones.

How to access this superpower: Step outside your comfort zone.

A superhero is the epitome of strength. Most superheroes have a passion and great responsibility for saving the world. Find your strength, both your inner strength and physical strength. Find something that you are passionate about and put all of your strength into it. When we are passionate about health and fitness and put everything we have into our efforts, we are saving the world one life at a time. Other people might see our superhero abilities and try to cultivate their own superpowers. And the cycle will continue.

Be a superhero today! What superpower do you wish you could have?

This post is part of a series of posts that will run through the month of April as part of the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge.

4 comments:

  1. This is a very good post, well written with really neat thoughts. I always think of myself in terms of motherly superpowers. LOL I guess I need to think outside the box... errrr, house. ??? LOL

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  2. This post is really motivating. I really liked the part about x-ray vision. I think I need to find my x-ray vision glasses :)

    Another great post as always :)

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  3. What a great post! I'll be thinking about my own super powers more often now!

    http://thebiggerpictureproject.blogspot.ca/

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