“Life doesn’t happen TO you. Rather, it can happen BECAUSE of you. You have far more power and influence than you can possibly imagine. And once you decide, you can use your power to affect your own life as well as the life of the people around you.” Dick Sutphen
In the movie, “The Avengers,” each character has a specific super power that enables him or her to make a difference. They have a choice – they can use their power for good or for evil purposes.
Iron Man can fly, and fight, and has a suit of armor to protect him. (It doesn’t hurt that he is beyond wealthy and has a beautiful girlfriend either.) However – what helps him the most is his brilliance. He is cocky, arrogant and very full of himself, but when brains are needed to save the universe, he is the one to figure out how to put it all together.
In her Huffington Post article, Susan Steinbrecher quotes Iron Man as saying, “Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not by the powers they are graced with.” She goes on to remind us, “You are only as powerful as your people. Show appreciation for your employees by providing positive feedback, asking for their input and involving them in your pivotal decisions. This builds self-esteem and ultimately, loyalty.”
Bruce Banner is a nice, somewhat nerdy scientist that everyone likes, however when he gets riled up and turns into the Hulk, he becomes quite dangerous and everyone is afraid of him. (Spoiler alert) The bad guy actually plays on the Hulk’s involvement with the team in order to bring them all down. When it comes down to it, the Hulk is able to harness his incredible strength and power for good (and he takes out a lot of bad guys to save the planet).
Thor has strength and physical beauty, but he also has to deal with his conscious. Does he do what is right or try to save a family member? He also chooses to use his super powers to collaborate with the others and form a stronger team. Ultimately (and as expected), their joint efforts give them more power than the bad guys and they win. (If you see the movie, stay until the very end of the credits for a treat.)
Peter Bregman shares how to use your super powers for good in his Harvard Business Review article, “We can make people feel good or bad by as simple a thing as a gesture, an expression, a word, or a tone of voice.
“Here’s what we know: Like the common cold, emotions are contagious. Caroline Bartel at New York University and Richard Saavedra at the University of Michigan studied 70 work groups across a variety of industries and found that people who worked together ended up sharing moods, good and bad. Moods converge.”
In the book, The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace Wattles talks about becoming a person of increase. You do this by letting everyone you come into contact with know that they will be better off because of their association with you. You give more than you expect to receive, and you receive graciously. People want to be around people whom they believe can honor and support them, and when you enhance the lives of others, you have the power to expand your own life for the good as well.
We are not superheroes, but we have plenty of power of make a difference. We have the ability to make a profound positive impact in other’s lives. Look at the choices you make throughout your day – you can CHOOSE to be grumpy when you’re handing over your cash to the local coffee barista, or you can DECIDE to smile and say, “Thanks so much for being happy this morning, what a nice way to start my day!” Which of these responses do you think will set you apart from the crowd? It’s the little things that count.
By offering a warm smile, a kind word, a caring look and treating others in a spirit of kindness, recognition and appreciation, we all have the choice to positively impact everyone that comes into our lives on a daily basis. Which of your “super powers” are you going to use to make someone’s day today?
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Employee Engagement Expert and Motivational Speaker, Lisa Ryan works with organizations to help them keep their top talent and best customers from becoming someone else’s. She achieves this through personalized employee engagement and customer retention keynotes, workshops and seminars. She is the best-selling author of seven books, and is featured in two films including the award-winning, “The Keeper of the Keys” with Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul. For more information, please connect with Lisa at her website: http://www.grategy.com
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