STWDM 18 - Taking Back Your Power
Day 18 Message: How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something
but to be someone. - Coco Chanel
O: Talking to thousands and thousands and thousands of people over the years, I still learn time and time again that the greatest transformation comes from this one thing…when you own your power. I’ve shared this quote from Gary Zukav hundreds of times but I just think it’s the essence of a fulfilled life. He says this in Seat of the Soul. When we align our thoughts, emotions and actions with the highest part of ourselves, we are filled with enthusiasm, purpose and meaning. And here’s the part I love so much…’When the personality comes fully to serve the energy of it’s soul, that is authentic empowerment’. What that means to me is when you use your personality in alignment with what your soul came to earth to do, there is no one who is more powerful than you are because you were born to be more fully, wholly and completely you – just you. And when you embrace the power you have over your own intentions, your thoughts, your beliefs and actions, you automatically have power over everything in your world. Where does that internal power come from? It comes from taking responsibility, staying awake, being aware, living in your truth, knowing you are worthy because you were born, and trusting that you’re co-creating with the energy that is loving and compassionate that comes from the universe.
In every moment we have a choice – the choice to embrace our power or give it up. You give up power when you shrink in response to people or circumstances . What I know for sure is that real power is born of alignment with your soul’s calling. You’re here to figure out what the calling is. Connect with it and your burdens get lifted. The universe will rise to support you in your truest power and any transformation you can dream of can be yours.
D: Without wanting to, we gradually find ourselves giving away our power. This happens in countless ways, most of them unconscious. When you’re dominated by someone in a relationship, you’ve surrendered your power to be an equal partner. When you feel anxious about how lovable you are, you’ve surrendered the power of self-esteem. Even when you go along with the crowd in your opinions, the power to think for yourself begins to diminish. Taking back your power is the key to changing your soul. This pertains especially to the burdens you are carrying because almost every time someone is weighted down physically, mentally or emotionally, they believe they have to live that way.
The feeling of being trapped can have tragic consequences, as when someone feels powerless to leave an abusive situation. From the outside, an observer might say, ‘just walk out – what’s wrong with you?’ The same way someone might look at excessive weight and say ‘just quit eating – what’s wrong with you?’. This is a false perspective. We become who we are either by having power or giving power up. Once a person feels helpless and powerless, that’s who they feel they are. It’s not like a coat you can take off whenever you want to. Every day our lives are shaped by themes we don’t even realize are part of us.
So what causes us to be shaped in ways that make us feel powerless, helpless and victimized? Certain cultural forces are invisible, pressuring us without being noticed. Some of the most pervasive themes that get reinforced in society are:
- Winner and loser
- Lovable and unlovable
- Victim and perpetrator
- Smart and stupid
- Beautiful and ugly
- Givers and takers
These are boxes we slip into over time. If you are a lovable winner, society sees you and knows you but the same is true if you are an unlovable loser. The real trick is to reject the whole scheme that says you must fit into a box. When you put yourself and other people into any of these boxes, you have lost the power to shape your story yourself. You have a right to define yourself by who you actually choose to be. Taking back the power means speaking and acting according to your own truth. The next time you are tempted to look at yourself and say things like unattractive, unlovable, loser, etc., sense the lid of a box shutting on your head, just say to yourself, ‘I am not going to do that – I will not be put into a box’. At that very moment you are getting your power back.
Journal Ideas: 1) Focus on a burden you are carrying, either physical, mental, or emotional. Write down all the reasons you have been carrying this burden. For example, you might feel it is your duty or that someone else has imposed upon you. 2) Next to each reason, describe how much you currently believe that each reason is valid, right this minute. Set aside your old beliefs. Speak to how you feel right now. 3) Whenever we carry burdens, we’ve surrendered some of our personal power. Journal about how you can regain your power, focusing on practical steps that are doable. For example, you might stand up for yourself more or turn to a friend who has dealt successfully with the same problem or burden.
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