Power

Where does your true power come from? 

Humans have taken on a lot of negative ideas about power from our history and current culture. People often have a tenuous relationship with the concept of power because what we often think of as power is oppressive, hierarchical, aggressive and dangerous. 

True power is completely different. 

True power comes from an intangible source within us. It allows us to share our unique gifts with the world, while also honoring others. It allows us to be creative, expressive, and unique.

It is our birthright as human beings to be able to express this true power. If this is true, why do so many people have a scarcity perspective of power? 

Abuse of Power

Let's look at the origins of the scarcity idea of power. Historically, there was an emergence of leaders who used power as a tool to dominate and serve their own self agenda. This was when warlords, dictators and oppressive rulers used power to manipulate, control and strike fear in others. This was a new development in human development. Before this time period people lived in close-knit tribes where there wasn’t one single ruler of the tribe. The tribe governed and made choices with a collective intelligence that factored in many different viewpoints and perspectives. 

From these tribes individuals started breaking off and demanding more autonomy and freedom. Individuals who broke off from the tribes realized that by demonstrating the most power then they could get what they wanted: land, resources, followers, admiration - all of the things needed to create their own empire. Looking back at this period of our history we can see that there was a lot of violence, suffering and atrocious acts in the name of power. 

There are many ways we see this commonly play out today: dictatorships or dictator-esque leaders currently hold power in many countries, many leaders of corporations have an extraction mentality, focusing on taking the most money and resources regardless of consequences, and we also see this on the individual level with high levels of narcissism.

Leadership Requires Power

Power was a gift that humans did vastly different things with. While some people abused it, there are also many instances of people using power to express themselves in beautiful ways. 

We want to dismantle the idea that power is something inherently negative or problematic.

In order to do this, we need to first let go of the belief that power is a scarce resource. Power, used well, actually invites others to step into their own power. It invites groups of people to collaborate and create far beyond what one individual could do alone.

Moving forward we want to develop a healthy relationship with power. In order to truly lead in our lives, whether that be at home in our families or at work with our teams and clients, If we all embody healthy power we have the potential to make a huge, beneficial impact. The healthy use of power also gives us the opportunity to collectively heal from the damage the abusive displays of it have caused. 

What happens if you take a moment to breathe into the idea that power is abundant? Power comes from within, power is your personal unique expression. What does that idea feel like in your body?

Abundant Power

We come into this life to express ourselves fully. This journey of discovering our authentic selves and then living from that place is what makes this human experience a journey worth going upon. We are meant to discover our true power. The universe wants to work with us to help us discover it. 

Life’s challenges help us discover our true potential. It is all about taking the invitation to live from your essence when those things arise. Navigating challenges, creating a life worth living, built upon your values and passions is how you build confidence in your own true power.

You are being invited to stand in your own true power. 

Think about any piece of art that means something to you and think about the artist who created it. That artist was living from their true power. To put art into the world takes a tremendous amount of courage, vulnerability and bravery. 

An artist sharing their gifts authentically with the world doesn’t prevent others from creating art or music or a beautiful life.. It does the opposite. It inspires others to step into their power and to share their gifts. True power inspires and uplifts others. It makes the world a better and more colorful place. 

Embodied Power

How do we step out of the outdated constraints of dominating power and into a more beautiful heart-centered power? We think one of the best places to start is by identifying your top values. Your values come from an amalgamation of love, purpose, passion, and rationality. They are one way to use language to articulate your unique gifts and unique imprint in this life. If you would like to do an activity to find your current top value words, here is a worksheet.

Another way to feel into your true power is simply feeling the light that is in your heart. Take a moment to close your eyes, and visualize a light in your heart. This light can be big or small, you may even perceive that it has a color. The more you actively tune into this light, the more you will be able to perceive it, grow it, and use it as a source of power and love. It is like your personal flashlight or sun. If you are used to rationalizing much of life, this idea may sound crazy, but we encourage you to try it. 

How does it feel to explore the possibility that you have an abundant source of power within yourself?

If you are interested in exploring and expanding your beliefs of power, individually or organizationally, contact us.