Do you ever wonder if your power is something you don’t quite know how to handle? Do you ever find that your power can put fear in your bones and have you scuttle for the nearest ditch you can find?
Happens more than you might think.
So, how might we fear our power? We may find our greatest gifts are our biggest fears. The responsibilities that come with those gifts might feel daunting and scary. Then we might experience the RESISTANCE that rears up and says, “NO, YOU CAN’T DO THAT!”
I have had (sleeping) dreams over the years that depicted my ill-preparedness to acknowledge my own power. In one such dream, as my power appeared in my hands I promptly wanted to drop it like burning coal as my power gazed at me with eyes that could burn a hole through my soul. I had no idea how powerful it was, and I did not know how to handle it. Nor did I really want to know.
Our power means to have dominion over no one other than ourselves. It can feel like a tall order and a scary one. It is a long-held belief that has us fooled to think that power is something difficult to attain unless we are one up on someone. We might steal power from others to find it only offers something that resembles false power.
And what if we see someone else who has the reins on their own personal power? Might we feel threatened? Envious? Intimidated? Could we feel the need to bring the other down so that we can feel we are in a greater arena and no longer fear their power?
It might be that we are not sure how to recognize our power and how to use it in a constructive and loving way.
Power is gentle…and robust. It can take a beloved comfort zone or a familiar pattern and annihilate it in one fell swoop. Good? Bad? Our power lies in how we choose to handle it.
Power is, well…powerful. It can be scary, and feel like accountability we would rather not have to deal with. It takes courage to recognize our power and to take the reins. Like an electric current that can give us the jolt we need to move forward, this force is everything.
What we might fear most is taking back our own power. In doing so, we might upset others and shake the foundation of our relationships. To take back our power is necessary for our own well-being, though. We have been programmed to please others instead of connecting to our higher power. We may fear a possible consequence of a change in the status quo, whether it be with ourselves or someone else.
We might feel we want to take cover while we brim in awe of this force. It can move, transform, or obliterate anything in its path with beauty and grace. Power is not a heavy-handed sledgehammer. I like to think of it as a sword we can wield with finesse, to sever which no longer serves us, and to reflect our light with gleaming beauty.
What does it mean to stand in our power?
It is to stand in the I AM. It is to stand for who we are and why we are here. It is to stand for what we believe in. It is to live and express our highest self in faith. It is to do all this without guilt or shame. It can be a challenge to choose our highest self and to move forward to create anew…anything we desire. We only need to make the choice.
Recognize that you have power beyond measure, and be more aware of how it can work for you. Know that you have power in your choices. You can choose what to do in a given situation and how you will respond to any circumstance. It’s like taking the horns of a seemingly wild beast and gently driving the energy in your favor.
Do what you feel is right.
Turn your fear into the acknowledgment and acceptance of your power. Your power is your ally that’s got your back. It need not be a source of fear.
Create a symbol of what your power looks like and how it works for you. It might be a sword, a dagger, an animal, or a flower—anything you see as a power symbol for you.
Then feel the power in your soul.
For more on my thoughts on personal power, find this in my book, “Self-Care Takes Courage.”
Julie A. Vermette 