I’m on a mission. I want to become the superhuman version of myself through diet, fitness, bodybuilding, biohacking, reading, and learning. I want to achieve goals that once seemed impossible like doing the splits, doing pull ups, building muscle and growing my butt, becoming strong enough to pole dance and complete an obstacle course race, hosting a successful podcast, creating an epic health website… the list goes on.
You don’t need superpowers to feel like a superhuman. We all have different goals that we feel will help us feel like our superhuman selves.
When I Realised I Could Do Hard Things Even While Scared
When I met my husband more than six years ago, I could not really ride a bike. I learned how to ride a bike when I was about eight years old, but then did not cycle again until I was 20. At the time, I was still at University, and while he was at work, I borrowed my sister’s bike and taught myself how to ride a bike again. I knew he was going to take me mountain biking at some point, and I did not want to look like an idiot.
I felt like a superhuman. I was right, and we went mountain biking within a few weeks. As someone with anxiety, who is generally afraid of quite a lot of things, I was freaked out by a lot of sections, especially when it came to bridges and parts where two trees or obstacles were too close to each other and I had to cycle through.
Mountain biking has tested my anxious mind over and over again over the last few years, but I still do it. Partly because I really trust Jonathan and I know he will not put me in a situation that I will not be able to handle. He is my superhuman.
Never in my life did I think that I would be someone who goes mountain biking because I was too scared. The truth is, I still am. But my motto is that I have to do it scared. You only grow when you get out of your comfort zone.
Since meeting Jonathan, I have cycled in the streets of New York, with cars passing close by, and did so without having a panic attack. We cycled as our only means of transportation while on holiday in Amsterdam, and I never thought that I would be someone who could cycle for four hours a day.
He encouraged me to do a lot of other things that required that I put on my big girl pants and be brave, such as:
- Doing ten obstacle course races (The Warrior Race in South Africa)
- Trying wakeboarding and kneeboarding
- Climbing a wall
- Doing a duathlon
- Jumping a fence
- Doing a short zip line
- Going catamaran sailing and going on trapeze (that shit was scary)
- Wearing a bikini in public
- Giving up sugar, gluten, soy, trans fats, etc. 90% of the time, which felt nearly impossible before
Do It Scared
In her book, Yes Please, Amy Poehler writes: “Great people do things before they’re ready. They do things before they know they can do it. And by doing it, they’re proven right. Because, I think there’s something inside of you—and inside of all of us—when we see something and we think, ‘I think I can do it, I think I can do it. But I’m afraid to.’ Bridging that gap, doing what you’re afraid of, getting out of your comfort zone, taking risks like that—THAT is what life is. And I think you might be really good. You might find out something about yourself that’s special. And if you’re not good, who cares? You tried something. Now you know something about yourself. Now you know. A mystery is solved. So, I think you should just give it a try. Just inch yourself out of that back line. Step into life. Courage. Risks. Yes. Go. Now.”
A lot of people that I speak to mention that they are too afraid to do certain things, but if you really want to do something, just go for it, even if you are scared. The only way to become braver is to keep facing your dragons. Some dragons you may have to face over and over again until you are not scared anymore.
The reward is usually worth it, and part of the journey to becoming superhuman is putting yourself in situations where you are uncomfortable, but that encourage growth. You are only going to become your best self if you actively pursue self-improvement through gaining knowledge, self-experimentation, putting yourself through mental and physical challenges, etc.
If you want to become superhuman, perhaps make a list of challenges that you want to take on, but are too afraid to do. If you want, you can start with the smallest challenges on your list, and then as you become braver, move to the harder stuff. Living in a way that will help you become your best, superhuman self can actually be quite liberating.
