Prompt 4 – Superpower: What’s your 2011 superpower? What have you learned that you can do better than anyone you know this year? What can you do that no one else can? Don’t be shy!

I have to be honest – I don’t like this prompt. Of course I’m all for empowering people, but “superpower?” Really? After my initial grumbling and disdain, I thought, “Ok, you can do this. Start to think of things you’re good at.”

I came up with chocolate chip cookies. I can make a mean chocolate chip cookie. I also keep a clean house. I’m rather fanatical about it.

And that was about it.

Really? This is the best that I can do?!

Then I started getting snarky with myself.

I thought about how I am the best at being the worst with any hand-eye coordinated activities. And then realized, nope, my mother has me beat.

Now I’m not even the best at failing at something. This is ridiculous!

Then I read my friend Ashlei’s post on this prompt. I had renewed inspiration. Ashlei so eloquently put into words what I have been struggling with and unable to articulate what it was that this prompt made me feel. That is, when you focus on minute, specific details, you end up missing the big picture. And the big picture is this: I am the best at being me. You are the best at being you. There are no duplications, substitutions or variations.

You are your own superpower. Just you. And what you do. All of the idiosyncrasies, talents, semi-talents, full-blown failures, and oddball behavior. All of it adds up to something that is special and unique. Never to be seen–exactly as it is–again.

Now, I think I’m in the mood to make some chocolate chip cookies.