People have power.
That’s the best asset we can have. It doesn’t matter who you are. You have power. We all have power.
It depends on how we use it - for better or for worse.
We have the power to make things happen. What we envision can be realized when the world around us sees it. How we use it says about who we are.
With all we hear of power misused and abused, how do we ensure we’re using it right?
What should we know in terms of power?
1. Power is within us.
With this gift and privilege, we can make a stand. We enact power. We experience power. We influence through power.
2. There are different powers around us.
There’s economic power, political power, and social power. From a relational perspective, there’s the power of words, the power of collaboration, and the power of culture. There’s a power that can control, pressure, limit, or force, which can be individually straining. In any form, it produces an effect.
3. There is something that gives a person the ability to influence and shape others.
It can be a position we have, a skill we learn, or even money. And there’s a chance that we get tempted to misuse or abuse power if our goal is to change something. We see this mostly in people who are passionate enough to pursue their goals. When power comes into the picture, they can bring out selfish deeds that affect others.
Power is needed to transform, but we shouldn’t give in to the temptation of abusing it. Let’s make that balance.
It doesn’t help if we have power over a person or a group. This common form of abusing power never helps and needs to stop. Power is to be shared, to use for the sake of others, and to empower others.
We need others exercising similar power to check on us on how we use it. If we have good intentions in utilizing it, we should become a guardian instead of a tyrant.
It helps if we have power with a person or a group. It is a power shared, a power distributed. It’s a two-way street. All parties recognize their powers to work together for a common goal. They know that they can participate and contribute.
It’s not the same as power delegated. This kind tends to pass on tasks people don’t want to do themselves while retaining the power they have.
It takes a lot of willing time to build trust. It also takes humility for those in power to allow others to put their gifts to use for the good of all.
It’s crucial to use our power for a person or a group. When we practice our power for a good cause, it unleashes in an infinite and distributable way.
Power is not a zero-sum game. It’s not like if we have one hundred pounds of power and we use fifty pounds, then fifty pounds are left. If we distribute power well to others, we give them double the power. It’s like having a limitless amount of it. It’s the reason we feel an impact when we render service to others.
There’s a kind of power that can seep through. The power granted by a Higher Being who moves through you into another so they can become a force of good for others. This “power through” can bring that powerful, experiential feeling.
These aforementioned are ways we can use power. So how will we use it?
How we use it will accompany every thought, every decision, every conversation, and every plan.
If we want to use our power to create change for the good, we should have humility, genuine intention, goodwill, and determination to make that happen. We should nurture seeds that lead to good fruit. These are indicators that we plan to use power rightly.
So, how do we ensure that we’re using power rightly?
1. Have the right motivation.
Examine the motivation so that no one can question our integrity. If we drop the ball, problematic consequences will happen, and we don’t want that.
If we have a moral guide we consistently follow, it speaks out on what we say and do. It forms us into reliable people that others can trust.
2. Make no room for self-centeredness.
With this, we shouldn’t be ego-driven in what we do. Feeding on that will take us into that wrong turn of using power. Instead, we should be purpose-driven. Everything we do is for the goal itself. We put others in the picture.
3. Check the things you’re feeding on.
If what we’re reading or hearing leads us to things outside our goals, we don’t mind them. Let’s feed on things that inspire, encourage, motivate, and challenge us. It’s crucial to check on this as they can shape our actions and decisions.
It’s great to have this power personally. Intellect, spirit, and will join forces to bring the vitality and goodness of life we want to bring out despite the difficult circumstances.
I like how one article listed the enablement of personal power in us. It said that personal power enables us to choose:
- knowledge over ignorance
- wisdom over foolishness
- courage over fear
- hard work over entitlement
- hope over despair
- humility over arrogance
- appreciation over ungratefulness
- love over hate
- justice over unfairness
- grace over condemnation
- inclusiveness over alienation
- service over self-interest
With these, we can build stronger relationships and create more opportunities, which bring goodness wherever we go.
With what power brings, it’s a responsibility. So the more we need to strengthen it. The same article mentioned six enablers to do so:
- Know what you stand for.
- Believe in what you are doing.
- Find your sweet spot. (It is the synergy between what you are good at, passionate about, and what to do.)
- Be authentic.
- Don’t allow people to push your buttons.
- Choose not to be a victim.
It’s now up to us how we play our power cards and use them well. May we bring a virtuous force of power around us.
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