“Authentic power is building something inside you that you cannot lose and that no one can take from you.”
GARY ZUKAV
I had the pleasure of spending the day with my son, helping him move into his dorm room, and getting those extra items (snacks and drinks) to make his new space feel like home. Times of transition…I know he will be successful in whatever he chooses. I only ask myself, where has the time gone.
As I sit at my AirBnb, I am reflecting on my day. I was flipping through channels and an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show from 2000 with Gary Zukav caught my attention. The show was about how you can get your power back. There are events in our lives that can sideswipe us or give us a whisper of warning to pay attention to. Gary Zukav was talking about how people strive for perfection, acquire material things, or accomplishments, in order, to manipulate the perception of others to like them or see them in a certain light. There is nothing wrong with having nice things for your own pleasure or doing things to discover what you are capable of. It is when you pursue these things in hopes that others will see you in a particular way that you fall out of alignment with who you are. The difference lies in “who you are being” not “what you are obtaining or accomplishing”. It is not the bigger house, the fancy car, or any other flashy toys that define who you are.
Stop and ask yourself, “Why do I choose what I am doing (competitions, fancy cars, or retail therapy)? Am I doing this to fill a void (feeling of inadequacy, unloved)? A need to feel worthy? To look like I have it all together? To prove it to others who have wronged you? To look good? Explore your responses they will help you answer the next question.
The ultimate question is, “How do you view yourself in relationship to the world?” The belief you choose to hold will drive your intentions and actions and lead to your results.
There are 4 characteristics that define someone who has authentic power:
- Humbleness – A person who is humble sees people around them as friends and knows that everyone in life faces difficulties and challenges. Why would you abandon someone who only longs for the same thing – to be loved, valued, and acceptance.
- Forgiveness – to forgive for not other reason that release the burden on yourself; forgiveness is for you more than the other person.
- Clarity – to understand that every experience is suited for you
- Love – to realize that every person who cries hurts. A connection to the human spirit.
Authentic power is the ability to go within – to experience the emotions and to make choices from within – intentionally moment to moment.
Are you ready to step into your authentic power? No one can take this away from you. Everyone has access to this power!
It starts with one choice.