Superpower: How to Think, Act, and Perform with Less Effort and Better Results

Chapter 4

Blinding Flash of the Obvious

As I mentioned earlier, I originally wanted the title of this book to be Common Sense Is a Superpower! That's something I say at a lot of my live programs, and it leads me to an important question: How often do you actually listen to your own common sense?

That's the instinctive little voice inside your head that gives you advice, ideas, and inspiration—that is, when you're tuned in to listen to the channel. Dozens of times a day, we have the experience of having a thought or idea that might seem so simple, yet it can transform everything…unless we fail to see it , capture it, or follow through on it.

When Columbus sailed to America, they say, the Native Americans didn't notice the ships on the horizon…because they had never seen ships. Common sense would have challenged one Native American to ask another, “What the heck is that out there?” It's time to develop your skills to the next level to think outside the box or, as a good friend of mine, Nido Qubein, says, “to throw the box outside the window.” Learning to trust and use your God-given common sense to think, act, and react is a superpower!

Harnessing the Common Sense Superpower: A True Story

I love being around water for relaxation, recreation, and exercise. In the late 1990s, I owned a 28-foot Bayliner cabin-cruiser boat on El Dorado Lake. The lake was small compared to the large lakes I grew up with in Minnesota. I loved to spend weekends at the lake—cruising, fishing, and just relaxing. ...