Power: what it means, where it comes from and how we use it.
Show Notes - Journal Jam #9
Dear friends,
Sunday night was truly the United Nations of journaling, with people joining us from Norway, Turkey, India and Australia. Thank you everyone for working through the tiredness (either because it was too early or too late!) By accommodating our different time zones, we enabled a super energising conversation, enriched by our diverse perspectives and experiences.
With so much going on in the world, I wanted to hold a conversation about power; what it means, where it comes from and how we use it.
“It's not always necessary to be strong, but to feel strong.” Jon Krakauer
Power is a provocative word.
With its connotations of control, hierarchy and manipulation, power isn't something we always feel entitled or attracted to. Especially for the women on the call, power can feel "instantly negative", scary or dangerous. But there's another side to power. Power as energy. Power as confidence. Power as the fuel for movement, change, action and progress. Just as a plant needs power from the sun to fuel its growth, we need power to drive, move, act and create the world we want for ourselves and our communities. As Marius said, "power is about making things happen".
What makes you feel powerful?
We often think of power in relation to the broader forces of the world - politics, the economy, the climate. But when we considered the sources of our power, the discussion landed much closer to home: nature, lifting weights, tackling a new business challenge, being creative, expressing ourselves, traveling to new places, learning, movement. It's the sense of integrity we get from expressing our wants, needs and desires with confidence. It's feeling grounded, happy and alive with our choices. And in Shruthi's words, it's not feeling shy to "laugh like woman" - joyfully and without reservation. Amen!
What does it look like to stand in your power?
We all know what it's like to feel powerless. We're shrunken, we're stuck, we're small. To stand in our power is to boldly live in alignment with our values and beliefs. This means listening to, trusting and following our intuition. Sometimes, following our instincts means turning away from the crowd, defying social conventions and following the beat of our own drum; to "build life on my terms" (Tuva) and "challenge the rules that put you in a box" (Shruthi). At other times, it means moving towards the crowd and connecting with likeminded people in pursuit of shared goals, to "build something great together" (Sigurd). Whether a shared or solo experience, our sense of power is greatly enhanced when we move towards environments that amplify our self worth and away from those that compromise our core values.
The paradox of power.
If we want to live creatively, courageously and authentically, we have to face the risks that exist at the edge of our comfort zone. That's the paradox of power; it's not the absence of vulnerability that makes us powerful but our willingness to embrace it. There's a sense of confidence and capability that comes from pushing through self-limitations to accumulate new knowledge, skills, experiences and perspectives. Maybe it's why travel, learning and knowledge were so high on our lists of things that make us feel powerful. To live at the edge of who we are, in contact with our boundless potential for change and growth, it's an energising and enlivening way to be. One that makes us feel powerful.
Reflective prompts:
What are 15 things that make you feel powerful?
Is there a time in your life when you felt particularly empowered?
What does “standing in your power” feel and look like?
As the year comes to an end, I hope you’re able to find some time for quiet reflection; whether it's journaling, a walk in nature or a few deep breaths before a big event. It’s in those pockets of stillness that we create the space to show up in our lives with clarity and conviction. As India stated, it's in those everyday choices that we determine the quality of our lives. Our true power.
Thank you for taking the time to consciously connect with yourselves and each other this year. The hours we've spent together contribute to a deeper, wiser, more compassionate world.
With love,
Alex
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.”
Maya Angelou