Super you
Idon’t know about you but often I forget that I’m actually pretty awesome. Just writing that makes me cringe because it seems immodest. Yet if I drill down to what my talents/superpowers are in terms of professional skills or values that drive me, it reminds me why I do what I do and what lights up my world.
As life coach Jess Stuart writes in her book The Super Woman Survival Guide,
“tapping into your own unique superpowers can lift you up as well as others”.
She shares how as humans we are very good at focusing on our weaknesses, and often because we are naturally good at something we don’t think of it as a superpower because we assume everyone else must be good at it too!
Every one of us has unique superpowers and I’m not talking about flying, though recognising your superpowers can help you soar in different ways.
And as Jess writes, “No one is you and that is your power”.
Her book inspired our story on superpowers (see pages 28 to 33) and our covers for this issue.
I say ‘covers’ because during the production of this magazine we shot two images that we loved so much that we wanted to let them both shine.
Subscribers to the magazine received the Hānnah Moore cover
(read about Hānnah on page 37) and see her spring style shoot (pages 42 to 47).
Retail outlets will feature our ‘Super Squad’ cover featuring five ace humans who share what superpowers mean to them in today’s world. Read their inspirational stories on pages 30 to 33.
You may also be wondering why I’m wearing underpants for my editor’s photograph! That’s a good question. Well, I surprised myself in doing this photo shoot, which was definitely very much out of my comfort zone. However, when Melissa Gardi, founder of not-for-profit Great Full invited me to be part of her ‘Bum Huggers’ campaign – from which 100 per cent of the profits go to Bowel
Cancer New Zealand – I immediately said ‘yes’.
I lost my beautiful Mum to bowel cancer and it is a very avoidable disease if it’s caught early so I feel strongly about raising more awareness about bowel cancer prevention.
My mum, Sally, was also a superwoman. She bravely faced adversity and loss in her lifetime. She fought for human rights – inclusivity in particular for people with disabilities – and never gave up on us.
My sister, Stella, who has Down syndrome, now lives an independent life and continues to dream big and kick goals, and how far she has come is in part a tribute to Mum fighting for a place for Stella and ensuring she learned the skills to survive and thrive. Stella is a superwoman, too. She’s empathetic, kind, a talented artist and she gives the best hugs. Mum’s superpowers included being kind, caring, creative, empathetic, fierce, spiritual and supportive.
I know she’d approve of me donning undies for bowel cancer awareness. She’d think the name ‘Bum Huggers’ was hilarious and she’d buy a pair herself.