You sensitize yourself so much that you recognize how extraordinarily powerful you are. Not power in the sense of taking over someone — but in managing your capacity to not let an illusion take *you* over. To not let a fear possess you. Or in the language of Teresa [of Avila], to not let a reptile get into your Interior Castle. ~ Caroline Myss
For years now, we’ve seen an ever-increasing proliferation of superhero movies/series, which to me seems like a very obvious — and often grotesque, given the amount of violence and extreme special effects — projection of our longing to be powerful on the one hand, and our tendency to outsource that power to some savior, supernatural or not, on the other.
I’ve worked with a lot of folks recently who on some level feel or think they are powerless in their job, career, or life in general. These days especially, I also see this reflected in the behaviors of so many people every time I walk out the door or visit Facebook. And while there are certainly some extenuating and challenging external situations and events that could explain such a state, it’s ultimately an inside job: The way that we perceive, relate to and/or confront those circumstances is the main cause of our suffering. In other words, we are often our own worst supervillain!
It’s no wonder though, since every time you turn on the TV or go on social media, especially this past year, all you see are dis-empowering themes and messages — overtly or subliminally — that seep into your consciousness, if you are not aware of them or powerful enough “to not let the illusion take you over.”
If you’ve been to or watched one of my talks, you’ll often hear me say that you have more power than you think you do. Either directly or indirectly, what I try to express in much of my work is that real power is not about controlling your outer world; it’s about taking responsibility for how you manage your inner world — and then the outer takes care of itself. It’s about how you interact with life, and the choices you make in any situation. Or as Caroline Myss says, it’s about “how you manage creation itself with every breath you take. …And to actually sense what you are sparking in creation.” I also touch on this connection between power and creativity in this interview answer from last August.
At this massively transformative time in the history of humanity, we must begin to know who we are more deeply, understand and own our intrinsic power, and become familiar with our innate wisdom and what is meaningful, valuable and true for us — especially when so many forces at play would have us do otherwise. And we need to exercise that power in the small decisions we make every day, so that we build up the strength and trust for when the big ones need to be made. And because everything is reflected from microcosm to macrocosm, as we develop our individual power, we will start to see those changes in our collective power.
The journey starts with a commitment to your own self-worth and self-empowerment. It requires an extraordinary effort to break out of the spells from others or your inner supervillains; you must be disciplined and ever-vigilant about where your attention goes, and about where your power ends and another influence begins, particularly on your screens — where “life” happens most these days. Be particularly observant of the people around you and of your media diet — what you expose your mind and heart to, just as much as what you put into your body or expose it to (see my PGG called Radiohead for more on that), and most of all, monitor the broadcast that is happening between your ears!
This means spending more time out of your head and in your heart, that “Interior Castle,” to help strengthen your connection to yourself and something greater than yourself. In my view, this is the only way we are going to get out of or heal the many messes and rampant dis-ease of every type: mental, physical, emotional, political and spiritual that we as a society, both locally and globally, have manifested. As one of my superheroes, Mahatma Gandhi, used to preach: We must be the change we wish to see in the world.
Can’t quite recognize what your superpowers are or how to use them for good? Give me a buzz and I’ll activate my x-ray vision and supersonic hearing to help you find and be the one you are looking for, to tap into your gifts, and to find your unique combination that will contribute to taking the planet and humanity back from the grips of the likes of Lex Luthor — whether he/she/they/it are found in your screen, your backyard or your psyche.
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