Shift Your Perspective: On Power
By Diane Wing
Power has been abused for centuries. The idea of power is associated with fame, fortune, controlling others, or having unlimited resources with which to do your bidding. This type of power comes from external sources and the ability to influence that which is outside of oneself. Improper use of power has caused death and destruction.
Those who do not have access to great financial means and powerful allies often feel weak and unable to take charge of what is going on around them. In this context, the way power is viewed serves to diminish self-worth and perceived control. The result is anxiety, depression, and a sense of helplessness.
How do you define power? What is it you seek to have power over? Do you seek to have power over others or over yourself? Is power external control or influence or something that is used to control oneself?
True power comes from within. It utilizes the internal resources available to all of us: imagination, will, desire, creativity, intuition. These allow us to control our thoughts and actions. We have the power to choose our path, to select those who walk the path with us, and the purposeful actions we take to express our gifts. We have the power to give up if things get too hard, or to push past obstacles that are in the way of our happiness, health, success, and inner peace. In this sense, power is choice.
We have the power to make someone feel terrible or really wonderful. We have the power to make the world a better place, starting with cleaning up ourselves and our immediate environment. We have power over our thoughts rather than allowing them to control us.
In all of these scenarios, responsibility is placed squarely on our shoulders to take control, to learn what is necessary to move forward, to become aware of our gifts and our purpose, and to know how to use our gifts in high service to others.
The power to help another person is the greatest power of all. The most effective and powerful spiritual leaders—Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Jesus, Buddha—did not seek control over others, but were in high service and in that way became powerful forces of influence for the greater good. The help we put forward needn’t be on the scale of those just mentioned; but our power is just as great to make a difference in the lives of those around us.
Every time we say we can’t do something or when we act because someone else thinks we should, we give away our power. Each time we succumb to old habits because it’s easier than shifting into a new, more effective way of being, our power is diminished. By empowering ourselves, acknowledging our value, and using our strength to nurture ourselves and others, we wield the greatest power of all.
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About the Author
Diane Wing wants to live in a world where people feel inspired, create their ideal future, and experience a sense of wonder at everyday magic. As an author and perspective changer, she’s published four books – The True Nature of Energy: Transforming Anxiety into Tranquility, The True Nature of Tarot: Your Path to Personal Empowerment, Thorne Manor and Other Bizarre Tales, and Coven: The Scrolls of the Four Winds all available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iBooks. She is the founder of Wing Academy of Unfoldment, host of Wing Academy Radio, and has written a screenplay based on her novella, Thorne Manor. When it comes to getting unstuck and feeling great about life, her 9-word philosophy is: Let go. Be grateful. Stay open. See the magick. Find out more at: www.DianeWing.com
