Have you ever wondered if there was more to your life than it seemed — a part of it you haven’t interacted with? You’ve probably aged out of such elementary thinking. After all, by now you're very familiar with every aspect of your life. But what if?

But deep down there's an inner child fascinated by such questions. It's the part of you holding out hope that aliens and bigfoot exist. And the reason you still enjoy stories of fantasy.

But why do we ever entertain such preposterous ideas? Movies about superheroes and sci-fi are ridiculous, right?

There's a logical, healthy reason for it.

We live our schedules filled with monotony. Outside of the occasional vacation, it's repetitive. Behavioral scientists suggest that anywhere from 40 to 90 percent of human behavior is habitual. That means the majority of your day is mindless activity. It’s no wonder we stop and stare at the person receiving a speeding ticket instead of passing by. Common day-to-day events fill our days.

We long for stories like Peter’s. It's an example of the extraordinary among the ordinary. He lived a normal childhood on the east coast with two government-employed parents. His life gradually became more unusual after he lost his parents to a tragic plane crash. Afterward, his aunt and uncle raised him. Though he grew up in ordinary circumstances he would go on to change the world. Or at least his Queens, NY neighborhood.

You may say it's a childish line of thinking. But how would it feel to wake up one day to realize you have a superpower — to have a higher calling bestowed upon you? Each day you take center stage in the battle of good versus evil. Or you could choose to use your power for convenience. You could save thousands on airfare with your superpower gift of flight. Or you could overcome rush hour with your ability to travel at the speed of light.

When we go out for dinner my wife and I humor each other with date night questions while waiting for our food. Without fail, the list has some form of the question, “If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?” If this concept is so common it’s discussed on first dates, it’s clearly something we’ve all thought about.

When I was a kid I thought I had a kind of superpower when I discovered I could hear higher frequencies than adults. I would walk out of the dining room and know whether the TV was on without seeing the screen. It had to be the beginnings of some greater power I thought. But I soon discovered both my brother, my sister, and many of my friends also had this “gift.”

I’ve now realized the closest thing to “superpowers” is the talents of world-class athletes and high-achievers. That’s why we celebrate them.

Although we strive to fit in, we gravitate towards the rare and unusual. Like something out of a science fiction novel, we love to observe it but believe it’s beyond us.

We begin with the same basic genetics. But at some point, something changes for them. Countless stories center around such ideas. There’s the classic story of Clark Kent discovering his true identity is Kal-El, the son of Jor-El, a Kryptonian scientist; Harry Potter realizing he’s a wizard at the heart of a magical good versus evil plot; or Peter Parker, the common boy from the above bio who gets mutant powers after he's bitten by a spider.

And the list of stories goes on.

We don’t dream of being common. It’s the reason kids don’t dress up as business casual office workers during Halloween.
The common things are what make up most of life. You wake up, go to work, come home, and repeat much of the same thing the following day. There’s very little “world-saving” that takes place within that routine. You might call it monotony. And maybe you say, “That’s life.” There’s nothing wrong with an ordinary life. A family to love, a good job, and a roof over your head are all blessings often overlooked in a futile desire for more.

It's not worth it to seek sensationalism at the expense of the life you have. Our common lives brim with purpose. The care you give as a parent. The ability to change someone's day with a kind gesture. The potential impact you have on the lives of those around you is nothing short of supernatural.

Metropolis and the rest of the muggle world has the police and firefighters to keep it from falling apart. But simple acts of love and generosity can change the world for the person next to you. Outside the movie screen, heroes rarely wear capes. And they don’t drive the batmobile to work.

I would ask, "If you were a superhero, what superpower would you want to have?" But instead, I'll ask this: as a common person, what superpower do you have?