Derek Sivers

What super-power do you want?

2009-05-29

What super-power do you want?

Do you ever play this conversation-game? Ask a group of friends this question. It’s interesting to hear different people’s answers, and what they reveal.

When I was a kid, I wanted to fly.

When I was a teenager, I wanted to be invisible. (Probably to sneak into girl’s rooms and watch them undress.)

For the last 20 years, I wanted to stop time. (So much work to do! Never enough time!)

But recently when this game came up with a friend, I realized that for the first time in 20 years, I didn’t want to stop time. I’ve changed. My new super-power is I want to know everything. (Speak every language. Know every fact. Understand the universe.)

A year from now, it may be a different answer.

Whenever I went to a book store in the last 10 years, I’d go to the business section. But this past year, I was more interested in the travel section.

A month ago I found myself wanting to take two years off to go visit 24 countries for one month each. I was quite seriously considering this!

Last week, I found myself in a book store again with a friend. She needed to go to the travel section, so I went with her, but found I had no interest anymore. Something’s shifted. I want to work again. Vacation is done.

Sometimes you don’t notice these changes in yourself until a conversation-game or book store reveals it.

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