Black People Super Powers: Power On Your Future!

By J.Naomi Johnson
Note: This post is for people who have a dark or dinged past. This is for people like me and the majority of us.

Happy New Year!

Before we put those steps in motion to achieve our dreams (read: 10 Steps to Achieving Your Dreams in 2015), it is time for some housekeeping.

I am writing this in response to hearing a rumor about myself in which someone wanted to bring up my past and justify who they are as a person. Basically, I was involuntarily pulled into a social comparison. Had I not been fully prepared to handle it I might have lost some of my power. Instead, I did not lose my power. Later, I felt that this ability for me to maintain my power should be discussed with you as you go on your journey of dream catching.

I think in order to truly move forward with your planning of future success you have to defeat the past. This post is not about ridiculing those that attempt to hold you to the past and because of it preset your future to a negative outcome. Sorry, no time to waste here on those bandits. We are trying to realize dreams!

Instead this post is about you. That is right, YOU.






You are the one thing that you can control and change. That is our own superhero power: Change. That is all God gave us. God gave us the power to change things. Although not as cool as walking through walls and teleportation, it is a valuable resource none the less. This tool is always handy when planning the future. Obama said be the change you wish to see. That is the amazing truth in our lives. We can change the world. That is our power. But like all superheroes you must protect your power at all cost. You do this through the use of energy. You put energy toward something positive you gain more power. On the other hand, you put your energy toward something negative…well, you get it.

The largest source of energy you use is in the present. This energy is used to form power so that you can change and build your future. Changing and building the future is not possible if your power is gone because you expended all your energy stuck in your past. You Dig?

It is pointless to be at war with yourself about things that happened to you. Furthermore, it is wrong to punish yourself through guilt about things that you cannot change. Black People, stop being at war with you. Conquer the present by acknowledging what happened or the decisions you made and keep it pushing. I know what you’re thinking. It was really, really bad and I will never get over it. My answer is and always will be this: regardless if you have moved past it or not the world is still headed to the future so it would be in your best interest to move forward to avoid getting left behind.

That is what this post is about. It is about helping you realize you are wasting energy being a slave to your past. Take the energy you have and use it to build a better and brighter future.

Let us review the last line of my favorite motivating poem Invictus:

“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” -Anonymous

If you get a chance to read the poem in its entirety, Do it! As good practice on my roughest day I recite this poem three times then I tell myself to move on from whatever emotion has me at a standstill. It’s my thing and you should have one too. A thing you do to keep yourself centered when faced with adversity. It does not have to be this poem or a poem at all. Just have something that keeps you unmoved when those haters come out of the swamps. You dig?

I digress, in this last line of my favorite mantra the writer acknowledges that he determines his fate and he, like the captain of a boat, navigates his being or soul. He takes the responsibility for what he is feeling and/or experiencing. Please note that this has nothing to do with religion. He is not saying he is God. The writer is taking ownership of his life. He commands his power. You should do the same.

This is about power and energy. Power can be taken away while energy is transferred. When someone renders you powerless or attempts to take your power you should want to cease that act at all cost. Some people do this through the use of energy. This may negatively transfer their energy to the other person. So, in essence, you are energizing your opposition.

You need your energy, remember?

All these plans you have for 2015 are going to need your full devotion. You cannot hand out your energy to pointless things. You need it to produce power for your future.

I have been there before. Caught up in yelling matches because I was disrespected and violated and I did not want to be perceived as a “punk”. This is incorrect. Later, even after the support from my best friend, I felt like I overreacted and lost valuable energy. Now don’t misunderstand me, I believe people who are out of line deserve to be checked but not everybody deserves your energy.






Energy is usually transferred when you have not dealt with your past. You mentally have to prepare for the moment when someone addresses the elephant in the room. When I say, “move on” I do not mean to suppress or ignore the issue. I mean accept it. Accept that it happened to you or is happening to you. This is what life is about. The sooner you can do it the better. You are living this journey and this thing has happen to you and it is your journey alone. Stop trying to justify it by saying that you deserved it or that it was God preparing you for something greater. I say this because God had good things planned for you anyways. The “thing” that you are dealing with just happened. It just happened for whatever reason. On the bright side, those same blessings that God had for you before are still there. They are still there in the universe’s layaway. Waiting for you to use your superpowers and realign your future.

God is good. Indeed. But he is not a magician. He does not wave a wand and poof that elephant in your living room is gone. No. You have to move on. You do this through complete acceptance. You accept who you are. You accept what happen. You even deal with the concept that it could possibly happen again to you or someone you know. Acceptance is how you keep your power. Acceptance is how you change your future. Acceptance is what helps channel your energy.

The Bottom Line

Everyone has a past but you have to make the move to not exist in it. If you do continue to stay there people are going to wreck you. They will be relentless. They will not care about your plight and will use you as a footstool. You will not past go. Get it?

Accept your past. Live in the present utilizing positive energy in planning for the future. That is power. That is how you will become a super hero for yourself and those around you. With that said, I believe we are now ready. We can begin to get to the business of leaving the past in the past and achieving future dreams.

So let this new year begin with a toast: Good luck and cheers to you and a super future!