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We all have superpowers.

One of my superpowers is that I can run, pretty much anytime. I can pull on a pair of trainers and whatever other kit is lying around, and decide to go running. It’s not something that I ever need to prep for, or get into the mood.

Sometimes for a half-hour, sometimes for an hour. Rarely any more. Always warming up, always warming down, but aside from that I don’t have to think about it at all.

I settle into a meditative rhythm, my mind drifts.

For a long time, I didn’t know what to call it. I’d sometimes call it ‘blowing away the cobwebs’, or a ‘change of scene’.

The act of running, the feeling of space, the sense of freedom, can open a door in my mind to positivity and resilience.

I know it’s a superpower, is because not everyone can do that. I’m not saying I’m the only one who can. There are lots of people I know who also have this superpower, and I sometimes see others doing the same. Flying around the countryside, the parks or the streets, superheroes all.

We often give each other a nod, or a wave.

In fact, the world is full of people with superpowers like me. We don’t all have the same powers — some don’t like running at all.

Some of the people I know with superpowers can make stuff, play instruments, draw, tell stories, cycle, walk, make me laugh, make me cry, dance.

There are millions of superpowers out there, and it’s likely that if you’re reading this, you have one as well and you might not realise it.

The reason we don’t realise it, is because we’re always being told that we don’t have superpowers.

Or maybe worse, we are told that we don’t have any powers of note, that we’re not special at all.

We are in a world of winners and losers. Of unfavourable comparisons. A world where often the attention to the cloud obscures the silver lining.

Most adults reading this will probably think I’m being ridiculous. Actually I feel a tiny bit ridiculous writing it, but I’m working through that feeling. I also don’t think the 4-year old that lives in our house thinks the same. He believes in my superpowers.

He believes in the sheer unadulterated joy of running for no particular reason at all, other than the breeze in your hair. Or the unexplainable feeling of freedom that comes from running towards a big sky that you know you’ll never quite be able to touch.

Does he think that because he is only four, and so he doesn’t know any better?

Or is it because he is four, and so he knows best?

The cool thing also about realising you have superpowers, is knowing that you can use them for good. And the realisation that even if you are not able to conquer great mountains in a leap, or swim great oceans, you have a super power that can be used for good, is a wonderful thing.

I’ve decided to combine my love of running, a love for the climate, and the feeling of community. I’ve decided to start running for the climate.

I am starting small, and have signed myself up to a charity site that contributes to climate charities. This means I don’t have to turn up at a venue, at a pre-arranged time. I don’t have to buy fresh kit. I have made a commitment to raise a little bit of money online, in my own way, for something I care about.

And at the same time, it is doing something that I love, in my own safe space and at a moment that works for me. Without a running app, or the anxiety of sharing my performance publically.

To make it a bit more fun, I also channelled the energy of the mass participation event. Those things we used to do all the time, that we can’t do right now.

Losing our ability in 2020 to participate in mass running events, means that we also lost the endearing sight of a pantomime horse finishing the London Marathon, or a hot dog or SpongeBob panting over the finishing line other marathons around the world.

So this weekend, I participated in my own personal sponsored run, I did it dressed as Santa. Beard and all. My very own Santa Run, on my own, cheered on by the family and virtually by friends.

It was a pretty fun experience. I’ve never been beeped, cheered, or waved to as much as I did participating just through the regular roads and countryside on our doorstep.

It made people smile. And if this is making you smile, and if you are feeling motivated to get up and enjoy nature with a friend, please do it.

If nothing else, it’ll make me feel less silly.

Maybe also we can start a trend. We can create a movement of random running Santas, and marching elves on behalf of the climate or of other charities that are close to our hearts.

We can dedicated our foggy Boxing Day runs, or our springtime hikes. I would love to see Batman running the length of Hadrian’s Wall, or a banana running down Oxford street. And know whenever we witness this spectacle, we are witnessing a superpower being used for good.

I think it is also a good advert for superpowers. Once we realise that we all have superpowers, we can help each other believe.

That is the other amazing thing about knowing you have superpowers — belief helps belief. Seeing others like you, doing what you love and what you know, deep down, you can do. If we realise that you are special too, then we stop comparing ourselves unfavourably to others.

We begin to understand that everyone’s superpowers are different and respect rather than resent that everyone finds some things possible, and other things less possible or even impossible.

Knowing this means that we know how we can help each other in the world, in big ways and small.

On top of this, if we all realise that we have superpowers and realise that we are connected through these superpowers, then together we can make new and big differences in the world.

We can each contribute in our own ways, and make a habit of using our superpowers for good.

We can all make our own unique contribution, when we can, and these millions of connections can make a collective, positive impact.

The more of us that realise this, the more good our superpowers can do.

But.

How do we activate our superpowers? How do we uncover what has been there all the time? Do we wait for a spider bite, or seek out mysterious buckets of unknown glowing radiation to dive into?

Like all things, this first bit is the hardest. It takes belief. And belief, real belief, is something that is in short supply right now. Knowing we have a place in the world. Knowing what we can do is useful. And then knowing we can do it. All these emotions need to come before action. Our world drains our beliefs. It paralyses us and stops us taking action. We need help.

It would be easy if we were our superheroes from the stories. We can just turn to our superpower mage or guru, because everyone knows that all superheroes have one of those. Batman has Alfred, the Avengers have each other. Someone who has your back, supports you, cheers you on.

Someone who holds you accountable to what you have promised yourself. Pokes you in the places you don’t want to be poked, at exactly the moment you need it. But how can we do it ourselves?

How can we start? We’re told it is easy, but that is usually by people who find it easy.

In real life, starting by ourselves is not easy. The voices in our heads are loud. But we have to start.

This is where not doing it alone might be the answer. I have chosen a charity to be my superhero guru, but we all have them closer to home. We have friends, and we have family.

Sometimes, asking them to help is not easy. It needs the right moment. The moment where you are feeling strong, and able to be vulnerable.

Making sure we pick the right moment, will make starting more likely.

But once we have activated our helpers, awe have accountability. We have made a commitment to something.

So next time we’re feeling strong, we should turn to those closest to us, and tell them what we think our superpower is. We should do it in the knowledge that once we’ve said it, they know our secret.

You have signed up. They have signed up. We have signed up together. We’ve made a squad.

All that is left to do, is unfurl your capes, and start using your superpowers for good.

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