It’s hard to miss the publicized clashes between people, countries, political parties, ethnic groups, religious factions, and more. People across countries, cultures, and corporations are vying for control of one thing or another as life as we knew it continues to shift. The need for change in how we interact, show up, lead, perform, behave, and even think is evident. Civilization and the planet are demanding our attention.
Evident over centuries of historic precedent established by cultures across the globe, the ongoing evolution of the human race is grounded in our brilliance for mastering and (r)evolutionizing. Therefore, the likelihood of our successfully mastering these current challenges is favorable – or is it?
We all feel and see it – the world is shifting and this compels us to shift with it. It’s time to redefine concepts such as ‘power’, ‘leadership’, ‘self-worth’, ‘work’, and perhaps at the top of the list, ‘humanity’. In our personal lives, we’re being invited to treat ourselves, one another, and the planet with more dignity, care, empathy, and kindness. In business, we’re being asked to conduct ourselves more ethically, consciously, and sustainably. As leaders we’re being called upon to lead with more compassion, authenticity, courage, vulnerability, grace, and yes, even love.
The question looming is, how do we accomplish all these changes? First, it’s vital to acknowledge the hardship and loss. Everyone is struggling – at some point, on some level, for some reason. Second, people are incredibly resilient – in every way imaginable. And third, while we’re all wonderfully unique, there are parallels in how we overcome adversity time and time again. Self leadership is being tested and, without question, we have the capacity to rise to the challenge with success.
Let’s face it, the changes taking place across all aspects of life can be scary. Fear exists within all of us, at varying levels of urgency. Fear - and its relations stress, depression, anxiety, and doubt - elicit a natural survival reaction along with the desire to control what’s happening within and around us. Designed to be short-term and temporary, the survival reaction should take a back seat most of the time to the state that elicits our ability to move forward, create, and thrive.
Dr. Joe Dispenza shares, “Survival vs. Creation illustrates the distinction between living in survival and living in creation. Living in survival entails living in stress and functioning as a materialist, believing that the outer world is more real than the inner world. When you are under the gun of the fight-or-flight nervous system, being run by its cocktail of intoxicating chemicals, you are programmed to be concerned only about your body, the things or people in your environment, and your obsession with time. Your brain and body are out of balance. You are living a predictable life. However, when you are truly in the elegant state of creation, you are no body, no thing, no time—you forget about yourself. You become pure consciousness, free from the chains of the identity that needs the outer reality to remember who it thinks it is.”
It's not control that supports us in overcoming adversity, conquering challenges, and creating success – it’s being in charge of who you are at your core, it’s your real power. “Power is self-sustaining, permanent, stationary, and invincible. Force [control] is temporary, consumes energy, and moves from location to location.” says writer Rebecca Johnson. Real power arises by honoring your value, strength, and capacity for grace.
It’s important not to confuse control with power. Control is the external effort to manipulate things, circumstances, people, or outcomes. The effectiveness and influence of control is superficial and short-lived. While you may be able to change some of the details of your life using control, the fabric and energy of your world will remain unchanged. In fact, what you don’t see is the decline in your physical and mental health that accompanies the high level of stress (survival mode) control feeds. Not to mention the detrimental effects on those around you when you’re in command-and-control mode. The more you control, the more you feel the need to control to achieve the desired results and the more depleted you become – energetically, emotionally, mentally, and physically. Control is outside-in and power is inside-out. Control supports surviving and power supports thriving.
Personal power is the internal ability to create, influence, and respond to your circumstances in any way, shape, or form you desire. Power is internal and shifts the energy within and around you. It’s how you create the experiences you want, thereby drawing to you the energy, events, and circumstances that support your health, desires, and dreams. The truth is, your inner well can only be filled from the inside-out. Fulfillment begins inside you; you’re wired for balance, creation, and success.
With Grace, Kimble
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