The other day I got asked a question by a client about POWER.
As a woman, I'm acutely aware of when I have agency and when I feel powerless, know what I mean?
As we talked, I was reminded of a way of thinking about power that I learned from a book called Spiral Dance, by Starhawk that I read in the 1980s. (A kind of new age book before we even had that term, lol!)
As I remember it, she explained that there are 2 types of power:
Power Over & Power From Within
What we experience A LOT in our world is people exerting their power OVER others- to get what they want, to control people, to exert will...
But true power isn't about that at all.
True power is about being EMBODIED.
You know the difference, you can feel it.
So how do we awaken and harness our own internal power?
Here are 3 ways you can align with your inner power right now:
Speak Your Truth
As women this seems extra hard. We're constantly wanting to add filters around not wanting to hurt people's feelings. But the kindest thing we can do is speak truth from our hearts.
One easy way to do this is to think about the person with whom you want to speak as a loved one, a cherished soul.
Take Action
What is it that your heart is yearning for you to do? What step can you take to be in alignment with that?
If you really listen to that voice within, it will tell you.
The best part about this is that you don’t have to know how to do everything, you just have to be willing to take the next step.
Create Clear Boundaries
If you only do one of these three, here's the one.
Boundaries are fences. They're clear delineators of space. We need these as much in relationships as we do for property.
So what fences do you need to put around you?
Setting boundaries is an act of love - of self love and of loving another.
If you've grown up in a family that didn't have any boundaries or had super unhealthy ones, setting clear boundaries can feel elusive. It can also feel like you're being mean or limiting. But you're not. Boundaries are as helpful to you as they are to others.
When my youngest daughter was a toddler, she was pretty wild and I struggled with getting her to channel her energy positively. I'd be patient, patient, patient and then erupt in anger that made me feel horrible (and like a really bad mom). Then I was counseled about setting clear, firm boundaries with her. At first, she bristled, feeling confined. But soon she settled down because the boundaries helped her feel safe.
It was the best thing I did for her and for me. Because then it was so clear what was expected of both of us.
Incorporate these into harnessing your power and see how life unfolds.
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