3 Ways I Used My Negative Superpower to Screw Myself

It started in seventh grade. Or at least I think it did. Maybe it went back even further but this was the oldest example I could think of. You’ll know what ‘it’ is later.

I was really into this girl at my school. She was really into me, too. We were chatting on Facebook all day, every day. Back then, I couldn’t get on Facebook until I got home so I could not wait until school was over.

Let me tell you: this girl was amazing. She was beautiful, funny, easy to talk to, and most importantly, she wanted to talk to me just as much as I wanted to talk to her. Just to add icing on the cake, I played on the basketball team and she was a cheerleader! It was literally everything I ever wanted.

At this point, what’s the problem, right? Well, here we go…

Defect #1

I wanted to ask her to be my girlfriend, but I came up with a million reasons why I shouldn’t. Maybe she really wasn’t into me like I thought she was. Maybe other people would make fun of me for liking her. Maybe she’d reject me and wouldn’t want to talk to me anymore. Maybe it’s better to just stay where we are.

So that’s what I did. When the opportunity presented itself, I was paralyzed by all the reasons I shouldn’t act. Ultimately, that window came, went, and never returned. An opportunity squandered because I convinced myself not to take action.

My negative superpower would serve me well on the court, too. That was sarcasm, by the way. It did not serve me well. I was trying to be funny. Screw it, let’s keep going:

Defect #2

As a basketball player, I was doing the same thing. When the opportunities came to make something happen, I’d always build a case for why I shouldn’t make a move. You’d turn it over. They’d steal it. It’s a bad shot. Coach would get mad.

This thought process turned me into a player you didn’t even realize was on the court. I wouldn’t shoot the ball. I wouldn’t attack the basket. If there was any risk at all, I was not giving it the time of day. You can only imagine how nonexistent of a player I was.

Defect #3

Next example: public speaking. Man, getting up in front of a class was the monster under my bed coming to light. It was the apocalypse. The end of life as we know it. And don’t call me dramatic. You know the feeling, too.

Using my negative superpower in public speaking was me thinking myself into a physical and mental state of panic. I don’t look good. Something’s wrong with my shirt. My voice sounds weird. They’re making fun of me in their heads. Note that I’m having these thoughts while I’m giving my presentation.

The mind and body work together, right? It certainly did while I was in front of my classes. I’d have to wear dark colored shirts so they couldn’t see me sweat. My voice and my body were shaking in such a way that you’d think I’m in Jeepers Creepers. I was in a state of immense fear and it was all a result of how I chose to think.

The Point

True power is in what you choose to do with the knowledge you have.

Not to sound like an ass, but I consider myself to be a smart guy. I can pick things up relatively quickly. I got good grades in school. I have the ability to interpret surface level material and see what’s not being presented.

I’m not trying to praise myself here. I'm just saying that I got some brains.

My intelligence should be an asset, but I made it a liability. I used my brains to send myself in the wrong direction. I could’ve convinced myself to ask that girl out. I could’ve thought myself into a state of aggression on the court. I could’ve thought myself into a state of confidence as a speaker.

If you made it to this point in the story, you now understand that knowledge is not power. Knowledge is potential power. True power is in what you choose to do with the knowledge you have. There are geniuses failing and idiots succeeding every day. Make sure you’re on the right side of the spectrum.