Between the fall of 2014 and the spring of 2015 I went through a major shift in the way I thought of and approached my tap dancing career. Dancing has always had two sides: a private one in which I would purge emotions, learn about life, and commune with God, and a public one in which I crafted pieces that told stories, played music with killer musicians, and shared the craftwork I was learning.
This division came crashing down with a simple paradigm shift. Prior to the moment of this revelation I would describe my mission as tap dance – upholding the legacy, standard, and craftsmanship of the form – and my super power as Love – the ability to empathize, connect with, and affect people. Following the moment of revelation, I describe my mission as love – bearing witness to the gift of life, caring for one another, and expressing joy through dance – and my superpower as tap dance – this beautifully unique form, with breadth of expression, and rootedness in culture.
Our mission is our purpose. It encompasses the why. It is the reason we were specifically made, our being and doing, the most important thing that we dare pursue.
Our super power is the what and how. It’s the particular thing that we have that opens doors other people can’t open – our magic key. It’s our way into the room, the conversation, and the meeting, all for the sake of the mission.
We all have both. They work in tandem, complimentary to each other. For those of us who like this framework of thinking, it’s important to identify both our mission and our superpower appropriately. Take the time to ponder over them, ask trusted friends what they might think yours is, and test the results. It could be life changing. It was for me.