I have something very important to tell you. It’s serious, and you should really be sitting down.
Gosh, where to begin. It’s big news. So big, you’ll have a hard time believing it’s true.
Remember when you were young, and you would occasionally wonder if you had some sort of superpower? Sort of like a Ninja Turtle or kind of like a Batman or Wonder Woman. You used to wonder if you could accomplish some really incredible things.
Well…
You have a secret superpower.
I know this came out of the blue, and you probably don’t even believe me. It’s a hard thing to even comprehend. You’ve watched superhero movies, even read some superhero comic books. But, you eventually grew to think superpowers weren’t real.
But some superpowers are real. And you have one!
The crazy thing is that your superpower has actually been in plain sight your entire life, just waiting to be discovered. Waiting for you to realize its transformative capabilities.
Yet, day after day, you stumbled past its discover.
Hey, don’t feel bad. Most people never discover it. But because you didn’t learn you had a secret superpower, you blended into the world and lived like most everyone else. Doing the best you could as a mere mortal.
It was the same with me. I didn’t know about it either… At least not until this weekend.
This weekend, I found it.
I’m not entirely sure how I made the discovery. But once I caught a glimpse, the discovery came quickly. It was kind of like in the movies. Like catching a glimpse of a small orange glow between the floorboards of the barn, and then finding a spaceship from Krypton hidden below. Sort of like that, but there was no barn and no spaceship.
Once I discovered the superpower, it explained a lot. It shifted my thinking. It was powerful. It explained my past experiences. Why some people do great things. And why often I didn’t.
The first thing I wanted to do was start using it. The second thing I wanted to do was tell you.
Before you put on your cape, let me tell you about your superpower.
First, the good news.
#1. Easy To Use
Maybe the craziest thing of all… is that using your superpower is really easy. There’s basically zero training involved. Think of those Cirque du Soleil performers who juggle flaming torches while riding a bicycle on a tightrope. Learning how to use your superpower is nothing like that.
#2. No Pain
Remember when the radioactive spider bit Peter Parker, and he became deathly ill for a few days before he transformed into Spiderman? Acquiring your superpower is more like a butterfly landing on your shoulder.
#3. No Major Transformation
Eliminate that image of a person turning into a werewolf, with all that painful body morphing accompanied by bone crackling. Your superpower requires no massive change. Not even a little howling.
#4. No Costume Required
This is one of my favorite features of this superpower… nobody knows you have it. This is a real benefit because you’re not tied to a specific costume, so you can dress however you like; plus nobody can actually see your transformation, so you don’t need to find a place to change costumes. Very convenient as there are so few phone booths nowadays.
#5. No Special Instruction or Teacher Required
You’d think they’d teach this superpower in school, but I can tell you…. no teacher EVER told me about this. The good news is, no teacher or Shaolin master is required.
#6. No Permission
You don’t need no stinkin’ authorization to use the superpower. The superpower fits perfectly in the era described by James Altucher as “Choose Yourself.” Marketer and business thought leader Seth Godin (who also has this superpower) would tell you to use your superpower to “Make a Ruckus.”
#7. You Don’t Need An Assistant
Batman and Robin. The Green Hornet and Kato. You.
You don’t need a sidekick for your superpower.
#8. Not Complicated
No tricky potions to mix. No magic words of wizardry to remember.
#9. Minimal Time Required
It’s actually hard to imagine, but this superpower will not take any additional time from your life.
#10. No Cost
Free. Free. Free.
OK, it’s time you learned of your superpower. Are you still sitting down?
It’s the power of 1%.
By making just 1% change at a time – You can change yourself, your life and your world. Profoundly.
Let me explain. Better yet. Let me demonstrate the superpower.
Please stand back.
Let’s say you start with just one of something. Could be one pullup, or one dollar or one idea. Now, apply your power of increasing that just 1%.
Now it goes without saying, that a 1% increase is very very small. So small, that you could not even discern a bowl of 100 blueberries vs a bowl of 101 blueberries (superheroes love blueberries).
But if you apply your micro improvement of just 1% each day for a year… that 1 will have increased to 37.8 in just a year.
Your superpower of 1% holds the key that can lead you to the greatness you were destined to lead. It’s a superpower you share with some of the most accomplished people in history who’ve attained mastery in endeavors ranging from music, art, science, athletics, business and social work.
Is there a downside? Yes, as with all great powers, the superpower is difficult to acquire. And even for many people who discovery the secret, they often fail to utilize the power. Furthermore, it is easily misused. Here’s why.
#1. Easy To Use
Because it’s so easy to do, it’s also so easy not to do.
#2. No Pain
Because your superpower doesn’t involve a lot of pain, you might not notice that it’s working. Maybe you won’t even notice the butterfly landing on your shoulder.
#3. No Major Transformation
Some people want to be heard.
#4. No Costume Required
Some people want to be seen
#5. No Special Instruction or Teacher Required
Some people want to be told what to do.
#6. No Permission Required
Sometimes we’re conditioned to wait for a “go-ahead.”
#7. You Don’t Need An Assistant
“What?” you say. “You mean I gotta’ go alone?”
#8. Not Complicated
When it comes to superpowers, often the simple gets overlooked.
#9. Minimal Time Required
How can it be a superpower and not take decades to acquire?
#10. No Cost
Runs counter to the advice of “you get what you pay for?”
Let me explain. Better yet. Let me demonstrate the misuse of the superpower.
No need to stand back this time.
Let’s say you start with just one of something. Could be one pullup, or one dollar or one idea. Now, don’t apply your power, but rather let it decrease just 1%.
Now it goes without saying, that a 1% decrease is very very small. It’s 99 nickels lying around instead of a 100 nickels laying around (superheroes love Thomas Jefferson, and he’s on the nickel).
And if you allow things to micro decrease just 1% each day for a year… that 1 will have decreased to 0.03 in just a year.
Just as your superpower of +1% holds the key that can lead you to the greatness you were destined to lead, if your superpower is applied negatively at -1%, it will lead to mediocrity and disappointment.
And that is your superpower that will let you transform just about anything you want.
I’m glad you finally know the truth.
Good luck in whatever you choose to do in life. In whatever arena you choose to use your superpower.
I leave you with the words of Commissioner James Gordon from Batman. “You’re going to make a difference. A lot of times it won’t be huge, it won’t be visible even. But it will matter just the same.”
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Tom loves building meaningful businesses and technology (with people who care). Reach him on Twitter @thomastriumph
