¶ Reflection on Superpowers and Resilience
Well , I think my superpower would be the ability to be invisible .
Oh , I've had that question before , you know , in various training sessions and I think , out of all the things outside of making myself an instant billionaire , if that's a superpower then that certainly would be first , but just the idea to be places and to see things and listen to things undetected , I think that'd be very valuable oh there are rooms I would want
to be listening in on .
I absolutely .
Fortunately , I do have a set of ethics , so I wouldn't I wouldn't have any nefarious plans for that superpower , but that'd be awesome .
You know , I'm glad you said that I think all of the superpowers we we all talk about and we all wish we have there do needs to be some sort of rules around them , because otherwise it would be bedlam .
Yeah , everything can tend to the dark side if we're not careful .
Hello and welcome to Notes on Resilience . I'm your host , Manya Chylinski , and today's episode is a special one . As we near the end of the year , I've been reflecting on the insights and stories shared by the amazing guests who have graced this podcast .
Typically , I'm the one asking questions and starting the conversation , but today I'm taking a solo journey to revisit some of those moments and share a glimpse into the wisdom these guests have shared with us this past year . It's been a year of growth , learning and , above all , resilience .
Each guest brought a unique perspective and answered a fun question that added a touch of lightheartedness to our conversations , and that question is: I f you could have any superpower , what would it be ? I loved everyone's choices and today we're going to listen to some of them to see what we've learned . Kicking off our superpower showcase is Matthew Lostaglia .
He and I talked about work-life harmony and the value of meaningful and transparent communication in an organization . When I asked him the superpower question , he shared a unique ability .
I would have the power of theme music like movie style theme music that I could hear at all times . So that way I would know if an argument that I'm having is a silly argument or a serious argument . If I knew that there was danger lurking around the corner , I would get the all right . That's where I'm at . I want some music .
That is awesome , and I want to add that now to my ever-growing list of superpowers that I want to have . You're right , though , that theme music often is queuing us as to the emotional state of what's happening , and there are times I think we could benefit from knowing maybe a little bit more than we can sense on our own Right .
It's like clairvoyant minus right . It's like you don't know for sure exactly what's going on , but you know the right frame of mind to be in .
Next up is LaRoy Thompson , a DEI and resilience consultant who dreams of moving through the world unseen . His superpower opens up a world of possibilities , and it got me thinking about how we find space where we can be truly ourselves , without the expectation and judgments of the world .
Well , I think my superpower would be the ability to be invisible . I've had that question before , you know , in various training sessions and I think , out of all the things outside of making myself an instant billionaire , if that's a superpower then that certainly would be first . But that's the idea to be places and to see things and listen to things undetected .
I think that'd be very valuable .
Oh there are rooms I would want to be listening in on .
Absolutely . Fortunately , I do have a set of ethics , so I wouldn't have any nefarious plans for that superpower , but that'd be awesome .
You know , I'm glad you said that . I think all of the superpowers we all talk about and we all wish we have there do need to be some sort of rules around them , because otherwise it would be bedlam .
Yeah , everything can tend to the dark side if we're not careful .
Now let's delve into the mind of Kyla Cofer , the transformational leadership coach and podcast host . She and I discussed burnout and boundaries , and the question am I well ?
she's intrigued by the idea of selectively hearing the thoughts of others , a power that would certainly add a unique layer of understanding to the way we go about human connection and figure out the complexities of our own lives and our growth to pick and choose when I know what other people are thinking , what they're actually thinking , because there are so many
times I like that to pick and choose , yeah because I don't want to hear everybody's thoughts all the time , but there are a lot of times when I assume people are thinking something and they're not actually thinking that .
So , like I'm married and so this happens a lot in marriage when I'm like , well , you just think that I'm like this , and he's like I never thought that I don't , like where are you ? I never said that you know . So like I want to know what people actually think , but in the moments when I need to know it ,
¶ Exploring Superpowers and Perspectives on Resilience
Her answer to the superpower question was straight from a scientist's mind and a breath of fresh air . It was a superpower deeply rooted in the natural world . Let's listen . If you could have any superpower , what would that be ?
I spent a lot of my youth thinking about this question and for the last couple of decades , what I would have converged on is photosynthesis Whoa . So photosynthesis is not an imaginary superpower , it is a real superpower .
Green plants have this superpower and what it does is it creates energy for an organism to use using just the sun , and I always thought it would be really cool if all of my base needs were met just by going out into the sun . Oh , I love it .
And I suppose if you spent a long time in the sun you would get enough energy to do other things .
And fortunately for plants , they don't quite generate enough energy to move around if they're own volition . So that's where the imaginary part comes in .
Okay , wow , now you wouldn't have to be green , right .
No , no , this is all fictional . So , yeah , I could still look like anybody else . I could still look like myself . I just , you know , not have to stop and eat .
When I spoke to Kim Guevara , an emergency management and development professional , she imagined a dynamic duo of super abilities . She combined two classic superpowers teleportation and invisibility , and her answer shows how blending our unique strengths can lead us through some of the complexities of life with grace .
So I am so excited that you asked me this question , because I have little kids , so we talk about this all the time and we have to think about the best superpowers .
So as I listened to some of your previous podcasts , I was like I really hope she's gonna ask me this question and I shared it with my kids , and so the two that we really like is the teleportation yes , just don't have it fair playing and invisibility Still down on the invisibility , just being able to see , because when you got little kids sometimes you just
wanna know , listen in , figure it out . Not quite sure . Little bit of Harry Potter-esque there too . Yes .
Visibility cloak . Yes , oh , I love it . I think the ability to choose invisibility when you want it to be invisible is excellence . Invisibility when you're not wanting it is not something that people appreciate 100% . Terry Fossum and I talked about the power of mindset and he took a selfless turn with the power to embrace other people's superpowers .
He's a true team player . His choice goes beyond the personal and embodies the essence that resilience thrives in our shared strengths and the collective support that we are able to offer each other .
I read a book a long time ago and where people had different magical powers and it might be whatever power helping plants grow , whatever it might be and this one person they couldn't figure out what her power was . And they finally figured it out that her superpower was to enhance the powers of everybody around her .
So if you could grow plants before , you grow them great before . If you could fly , you could fly . But whatever it might be , and if I was going to have any superpower at all , it would be to enhance the superpowers of those people around me to help them be even better than they are .
When I spoke to our next guest Nōn Wels , a feely human and founder of the Feely Human Collective , his choice of superpowers struck me deeply . His answer reflected a profound commitment to harmony , compassion and taking a stand against violence . His perspective is a testament to the transformative power of empathy and kindness and courage .
I couldn't decide on one .
Oh , okay .
So I'll quickly , swiftly , go between three , the first one being Mary Poppins' powers , so flying and sort of moving things about the room and having some sort of satchel that holds all the things . Ooh , yes , it would be called Berry Poppins , yes . And the other one being being able to talk with animals .
Oh yes .
Yes , yes . And then the last one , of course , being able to just melt every gun down and turn them into little figurines to pass to , I don't know , board gamers , people , kids , whatever . Just burn all the guns . Yeah , the power to burn all the guns .
I wish I had a magic wand and could give you all three of these . Garth Smelser is a co-founder and program manager of Mindful Fed , which integrates mindfulness strategies and practices into the federal workplace culture .
In an episode where we discussed mindfulness and reminders that our life is right now , in this moment , this superpower focused on connection and it acknowledges the profound impact that understanding how we are all interconnected can have on our resiliency .
I thought a lot about it because , once a comic book fan , I don't go towards the teleportation or the flying which a younger me might pick and this is not meant to be too esoteric or woo-woo , but I really , and this is really genuine , with this second half of my life discovery in meditation and mindfulness , my desired superpower would to be able to turn on
connection with people and the environment and life . I think that's such an embedded part of mindfulness practices to sort of let go of the self and realize how interconnected you are and just to be able to tap into that instantaneously , even without meditation , would be a really wonderful superpower , thank you .
Ricardo Martinez , storyteller , podcaster and founder of the hashtag I am 911 movement , shared his wish for a superpower that led me to think about the moments that shape our journeys and really consider the role of time in the concept of resilience .
His perspective challenges us to appreciate that concept of time and to navigate how it impacts our own personal growth . The first question I ask all my guests if you could have any superpower in the world , or even out of this world , what would it be ?
To stop time .
Oh , okay by the way . Yes , I feel like there's a story there .
You know , there's just so much that goes on in the day where you kind of really want to have at least an hour or two extra to be able to get certain things done , and then hit , play again and boom , you don't have to worry about whatever that was and you can just continue on .
Oh , I love it . All right . I have heard some of the most amazing superpowers . I want to put them all together and make a super superhero . Maybe is the word I'm looking for , that's pretty awesome , I dig that . Now let's revisit the interview with futurist and behavioral scientist , Chris Marshall . Well , he thinks this superpower is really nerdy .
I found this unique insight illuminating when I asked him to tell us about the superpower he wished he had his answer got me thinking about the wonders of human thought and the links between understanding our minds and cultivating resilience .
Oh , that's a good question . I think it would have to be if I could snap my fingers and let somebody see inside their brain and see what's going on with all the chemical reactions . I know this sounds really nerdy .
It's probably the most nerdy superpower you've heard on the show , but if you could do that , people would instantly see , oh my word , like all of these different pathways are lighting up and these chemicals are coming through . As you can see , I'm quite passionate about this , and it would just allow people to go .
Oh my word , it's not me , it's my wiring or it's my brain doing this , and I think that's going to probably become evident where our conversation goes , why I think that would be such a superpower to be able to either have or give people .
Wow . So I don't think it's nerdy , because I think that's really cool and I want that superpower too , and I love that part of having that superpower would be helping people . See , this is a natural response . This is how your brain works .
Yeah , absolutely , because I think that's one of the things that I think we just confuse that we do something , we get anxious over something , something doesn't go our way , and there are so many different options we have , but rarely do we just go oh , actually , this is just a wire .
This is just a wire in my brain creating this thought , because then that allows us to be far more compassionate , far more self-reflective , rather than oh , I'm a terrible person .
Next up is Siddharth Shah , who assists helpers , healers and protectors through his consulting firm . In our episode , we discussed resilience as skills and competencies that we each work on . His answer to the question about superpowers is a reminder to us all of how creativity can be a powerful force in helping us grow personally .
The superpower I would want is to be artful . I'm in awe of how others have this superpower . If you ask me to draw a cow , you're going to get something that looks like a horse . You have to draw a horse , you're going to get a cow . I just don't have the interconnections , the neuronal pathways to render what is in my mind and heart .
If I had more of a superpower , I'd render my mind and heart into song . Or I would sculpt , paint something that moves people , shoot a film that grows empathy and stimulates people into action . I want to capture just the right photo and a photo that is telling . I truly
¶ Exploring Superpowers and Resilience
have seen throughout my life that to be artful is to enhance our way of seeing and it transmits to others something sublime or mysterious .
Jolie Wills stepped into the role of protector with her superpower , with the ability to create a protective force field . This resonates particularly with her work as a psychosocial expert in disaster and disruption , where the ability to protect takes on a real significance in helping people rebuild their lives after disasters .
Being able to put a protective force field in around people and communities . I work in disasters so I've seen the fallout or what happens . If there was anything we could do just to protect and prevent , that would be amazing Some sort of amazing force field .
That's what I'd love to be able to deploy .
I love that like a giant bubble wrap around everybody , Although I think force field is actually a nicer image than a gigantic bubble wrap .
I do imagine a big bubble of some sort , you know .
Yeah , I can see it . I love it . Thank you in advance . For those of us who do experience something difficult , I know how much we would love to have that bubble around us , so thank you for thinking of that . Shifting gears my guest , Amy Ginden , shares a superpower that doesn't require special effects empathy .
She and I chatted in our episode about how mental well-being is a must-have , not a nice-to-have , which aligns nicely with the ability to understand and share the feelings of others . With the concept of empathy , amy's superpower got me thinking about the critical role that empathy plays in resilience and as a force that connects us as individuals .
I would say my superpower is empathy . I have always been a really deep feeler , I feel my own feelings deeply . I feel other people's feelings deeply and I think because of that it has really made me strong in my ability to have great relationships with my peers and my colleagues and my team . So empathy is my superpower .
Nyeesha Williams also already possesses her superpower a finding and using her voice . In a world where words hold immense power , she has harnessed the strength to speak her truth in her roles as a mental health expert and advocate , and she inspires others to do the same .
I found her superpower so meaningful as someone who is using my own voice with the goal of helping others on their resilience journey .
So if you were to ask younger Nyeesha up until about five years ago , it would be telekinesis , that would be my superpower . But I think I've kind of manifested that power and it's heavy . So my superpower today will be exactly what I believe I have already and that is the superpower of my voice . My voice is my superpower .
I believe in the power of truth telling .
And lastly , we have Kelly Mendenhall In our episode on finding strength and adversity and honoring the mind , body and spirit . She offered a unique perspective on how embracing and navigating life with a disability can be a superpower in itself . She sheds light on the strength she has found in her own lived experience .
Ending with Kelly's insight feels fitting , as it leaves us pondering the diverse ways resilience manifests in our lives .
I don't know if this is cheating or not , but I actually say that my disabilities are my superpowers . Oh , okay , because they've made me a kinder , more understanding .
I mean , I've always been an empathic person , but I have a deeper level of empathy and understanding for pretty much everyone in the world around me , and I'm 180 degrees worth of better at being patient . Now there are a lot of things that my disabilities have nurtured , unexpectedly , that I feel like those are my superpowers .
Oh , wow , okay , so you already have your superpowers , I love that , yeah , if I was going to add another one , wolverine has been like my biggest comic book crush since I was a wee lass , and the idea of having a metal skeleton that heals itself would be really nice .
And there you have it a compilation of superpowers from some incredible minds . As we wrap up this year's exploration of resilience . We've looked at various superpowers . Some are fantastical , others deeply personal . From the power to teleport and the artistry of empathy to the strength found in embracing one's voice .
Each of these abilities , real or imagined , share a common thread the human capacity to adapt and overcome . And this discussion of superpowers isn't just a flight of fancy . We are tapping into the shared human desire for strength and adaptability . What if , in these dreams of extraordinary abilities , we find reflections of our own innate resilience ?
After all , the very act of imagining such powers is an exercise in hope , creativity and the belief that we can handle the challenges life presents us . So let's remember that resilience isn't confined to the extraordinary . It's woven into the fabric of our everyday desires , aspirations and the very human wish to thrive .
And as we step into a new year , let's not only prioritize our personal growth but actively advocate for and foster supportive environments that enhance resilience on a broader scale . That is our collective superpower .
Thank you to each and every one of you , our listeners , and , of course , to the fantastic guests who've shared their stories in wisdom , for being part of this exploration of notes on resilience . May our collective dreams continue to fuel the resilient spirit in us all , thank you . Thank you for listening .
I hope you got as much out of this conversation as I did . If you'd like to learn more about me , Manya Chylinski , I work with organizations to help understand how to create environments where people can thrive after difficult life experiences , and I do this through talks and consulting .
I'm a survivor of mass violence and I use my experience to help leaders learn about resiliency , compassion and trauma-sensitive leadership to build strategies to enable teams to thrive and be engaged amidst difficulty and turmoil . If this is something you want to learn more about , visit my website , wwwmanyachylinskicom , or email me at manya@manyachylinski .
com , or stop by my social
¶ Exploring Resilience
media on LinkedIn and Twitter . Thanks so much .