Personal Integrity and Power
Personal power is a force we all have access to. Appropriate use is to consciously channel it to create optimal outcomes for the benefit of the whole. It requires integrity, honesty, humility, authenticity, compassion, kindness, generosity, forgiveness. It is also what supports vitality, personal accountability, responsibility. It is refined through commitment, discipline, and walking a path of truth.
Power is misused when it seeks to control, manipulate, or exploit others. When power is used to deceive, coerce, trap, that is not true power. It is too easy to give into the fears, insecurities, greed, and weaknesses that plague the ego, and to be influenced by them in choices a person makes in relation to others.
There is nothing impressive about power wielded in this way. We see grotesque examples of this kind of power in politics around the world – misuse of power that is highly decorated, yet carries no strength and heart in its soul. The misuse of power we see in the world is wielded by cowards, unable to step outside the inherited pattern of power they’ve been handed and offer the world an example of true power in the hands of great influence.
This turns the focus from acknowledgement and respect of the presence of power in another, into an egoist defense mechanism, which greatly disturbs the force of power – which is inherently designed to unify and be productively creative for our evolution. The mechanism of the under-developed ego, is to keep separate, is out for themselves, and be better than another. It is not aligned with the path of creation through the light.
Not to say that all creation must happen through the light, as light and dark are both powerful creative forces of the same coin that we can choose to operate through. In fact, the dark is an agent of the light. It’s only that we may experience the process of creating differently and more joyful in one way, rather than the other. It’s ours to choose in each moment and experience.
Humility, please.
Metaphor for learning how to wield power in a good way:
(What we see a lot of in the world) A young child with a sword that is too big and heavy to hold with grace and skill, who is wildly swinging it about, slashing and clashing against everything in its path.
(What we need to see more of) One must move slowly at first to learn how to move along the crisp planes of motion, and then can work up to being able to wield the sword of power with great skill. Along with that, being connected to the responsibility of one who holds such a power in their hands – which perhaps is even the training needed prior to receiving the sword.
Humans attained the sword of power itself before learning the principals of power first. Look at the destruction it has created. In the process of learning any new skill, we tend to be clumsy, and along that process we have the choice at any time to slow down, to focus, and refine our practice, presence, and skill in what we are doing. Knowing this gives me hope that humans have a chance to evolve out of this mess we are in. Like mastering any skill, it requires presence in the moment and unwavering commitment to its development.
We need more examples of people who have power and who know how to hold and use it in a way that is positive, productive, and creative. I pray for this principle to be infused into the power systems of this world, which has been plagued with a severe mental illness for all of our recorded history. Healthy minded people don’t create our past and current outcomes.
I pray, I pray, peace.
The best I can do, the most purposeful way I can contribute, is to start with myself, bringing my own awareness to greater levels so that I am in alignment with the path of creativity and unity; that I may refine my self awareness and ways of being, so that I may live a joyful life, that can also serve as being an example to others on their own path to joy. I’m far from perfect, yet to me it’s not about perfection, it’s about being devoted to a process and progress.
Here are a couple more blogs you may also enjoy:
https://goddessmodern.com/mindful-use-of-language-to-create-desired-relationships/
https://goddessmodern.com/mind-body-spirit/