The power to be, or a subjective analysis of capacity

A recent conversation with a friend turned to the tv show Heroes- a series that I have not followed for one reason or another. A big reason being that I don't have a tv (awesome). Another being that I have other shows to follow when I have time (. We were discussing how great it would be to have any number of superhuman powers to use at will. At the behest of this friend, I have chosen to write about the powers I currently possess. This may seem a frivolous topic- not worth the time it takes to read or, for that matter, write about. You may be right, but in this assertion lies my first and most obvious power- the ability to embrace and promote novel, uncommon, sometimes unrealistic notions. Most of the time I use this power to pass on what I understand/desire to be true- either through personal experience, semi-meticulous research, or discourse with people whose biases are aligned with my own.

The beauty of this power is not so much its overall effectiveness, but its self-perpetuation. Having harnessed the energy of this power quite some time ago, it functions on a relatively subterranean level- often I don't even realize that I'm using it, but upon self-reflection I become aware of its presence. The danger of this power is an occasional unconsciously malicious application- something dark and lurking has a hidden agenda that I do not notice until considerable damage has been caused (all superheroes have dark sides, right?). This is sometimes counteracted by my next power....

At times I have a robust capacity for empathy, sympathy, and concern for the well-being of others (redundancy?). I have been known to lend a hand, offer advice, comfort, motivate, and inspire- to friends, family, strangers alike. We'll call this a power of benevolence, unless someone has a better label. This power has an automated quality to it as well. The majority of the time, using this power leaves me feeling happier, lighter, grateful for the opportunity to make a difference. But occasionally a situation arises where I instinctively reach out to help/facilitate others only to be scorned, taken advantage of, left feeling overextended and unappreciated.

It is during these times that that I typically withdraw my hand, trying to recoup what I feel I have lost. My shield goes up to avoid any further damage, and my energy is focused inward. This would seem an ideal time for self-reflection and situation analysis to avoid similar incidents- recognizing warning signs that were originally overlooked, taking steps to soften the next blow. But somehow my mind turns to resentment before I have a chance to reflect and repair. During this time I have the power to push away the people that are genuinely interested in my well-being. My initial resentment is misapplied, and I hurt/frustrate my closest allies.

This is the part of the story where my power of perception comes into play, and I alert myself to how my personal resentment has been displaced so poorly. After brief periods of mental flagellation, I turn my energy to making amends to those I hurt. This is where I most easily exhibit my power of focus and intention. I pursue reparation with such force that everything else seems to drift into my peripheral. Regaining favor, reestablishing communication, these are my highest priorities.

But somewhere along this path my power of perception hints that maybe I'm starting to try too hard, stretching too far, starting to feel resentment...

Less significant powers include- the ability to overwhelm the senses with food, music, words, humor, passion.

Oh yeah, and sometimes I can fly when no one is watching.