What exactly is Personal Power?
I am regularly exploring the idea of ‘personal power’ and what it could mean. In self-development there is no shortage of the use of the word ‘power’ or ‘powerful’. For such a powerful word it is used so often and yet it’s juiciness never fades. There is no other word quite like it. Words have power, our language has power. The word ‘power’ literally rocks with power.
What exactly is personal power? No doubt there will be plenty of official definitions and descriptions out there. Based on my own curiosity to explore this, here are some nuances I have observed in people which I define as personal power tendencies.
Imagine…
Power is nothing about having power over others and everything about being connected to oneself. Personal power begins with understanding yourself and taking ownership of your life. Taking ownership means taking responsibility. That is why it is said: ‘with great power comes great responsibility’. Taking responsibility powerfully means that you take responsibility for what is yours, and let others take responsibility for what is theirs. It is about knowing that fine (sometimes blurred) line of what belongs to you and what belongs with the other.
There is a deep knowing that no matter what happens you can time and time again come back to yourself, go within, and find your way again. Deep down you know you are entitled to thrive. You have a sense of genuine deservedness no matter how distant something seems. You have the desire to continuously develop and strengthen ‘the self qualities’ such as self-acceptance, self-approval, self-regard, self-care, self-improvement. You don’t avoid the emotional experience of life, you recognise emotions are a part of the human experience. So you don’t beat yourself up when you’re having a low day because you know that the ups and downs of life don’t define who you are or your capabilities. In fact being able to acknowledge your emotions without ‘stuffing’ or ‘denying’ them in and of itself is a powerful thing.
You are also aware that you are not perfect, you practice self-forgiveness, gratitude and you approach yourself and others with compassion. You are considerate to courtesy and fairness, even in situations when it’s least expected of you. You know and regularly evaluate your values. You make a conscious effort to be self-aware. You understand that you have strengths and weaknesses, you know what they are, and are okay with the fact that both exist. And, you wish the same wellbeing for others.
Imagine yourself fully embodied in your own personal power. What else do you see?
Here is a wisdom bomb that I received about powerful people:‘Powerful people are able to show emotion and show vulnerability and show that they care, but at the same time, mark strong boundaries and know what they want’.
As I said earlier, personal power is much about being connected to yourself, truly madly deeply.
When I started this blog I selected the above image intuitively, I felt a strong urge to stick with this image. This very instance it has dawned on me why this image has a strong link for me to the theme of personal power. Personal power is about perspective. Inward perspective, outward perspective, and the ability to shift or maintain perspective. And manage all the moving components while staying true to yourself.
The personal power lens is not always smooth, not always clear, not always in focus, not always comfortable, and certainly not fearless. But, above all, it is a beautiful view worth expanding.
Questions:
When are you most true to yourself?
Who do you most admire for their connection to themselves?
What are the qualities you see in yourself that connect you to your inner-power?
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