It does require some bravery to stand in and act on your own personal power. To declare your freedom to live the life you want- because obedience and fear of disobedience are so institutionalized in our culture- starting with school. If you don’t sit still do what the teacher says, finish all your work, make good grades, you will never amount to anything, you can’t have a good life, you won’t get your check or your food allowance…

So what is power, and what kind of power am I talking about here? Personal power- escape the victim trap. Not the ability to use force or intimidation to make people do what you want. Personal power, the power to act the way you want to act, and feel the way you want to feel. The kind of power I’m talking about is not about intimidating others or using aggression to get what you want. Power to be okay when a person or situation doesn’t go your way. The power of inner peace and self-love.

“Deep down, we all want to feel powerful. We all know the power we have inside of us to create reality. It is up to us to notice the signs of giving our power away so we can consciously “reclaim” it. As Marianne Williamson (A Return to Love) says:

‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.’

As human beings we have a natural desire to feel powerful, so when we don’t feel powerful in our own right, we will orchestrate our outer lives in a way that makes us feel powerful. For example, trying to control others’ behaviour, acquiring unnecessary possessions, and spreading drama and gossip.

However, this only results in a deeper feeling of disempowerment and disillusionment about what it takes to have the lives we desire. We seek to control the things we feel we can control, rather than tapping into our own innate power source.”

Stop giving someone or some situation responsibility for your happiness- this is powerlessness, this is unhappiness, this is the source of your discontent. You will learn here that it is you who creates your discontent. Only you can make you happy, only you can make you mad. Only you can create faith, only you make your fear.

Sign up for the six day Power Up challenge here.

Here’s an overview of emails you should get by signing up::

Today: What is Your Power?

Tomorrow: Signs You Are Giving Away Your Power

Day 2: Powerful Thoughts

Day 3: Reclaiming Your Power

Day 4: Balancing Your Power

Day 5: Emotional Power

Day 6: Powerful of Stories

This is part of a book My Power Book written for adults to learn more about how to increase their personal power in ethical and humanitarian ways. It is not about gaining power over others to manipulate them into giving you what you want against their wishes.

Balancing Power in Adult Relationships

Power in Adult-child Relationships