How many nights have you spent whining and whimpering about the things that didn’t work out, like the promotion you didn’t get or the lover who got away? How many hours have you wasted afraid of making an important decision or worrying that the decision you made may be the wrong one?
I wasted a good part of my life doing these stupid things until I learned to do better. It is not the position you hold, nor the money you possess, nor the beauty of the partner at your side that makes you powerful. These things never last. They are the diversions the world offers that keep you from living a life that flows from your authentic self.
All your power comes from within
We lose our power when we focus our lives on the external things. These outer pursuits make us spend our energy seeking the approval of those around us. By doing so, we conform to what we think society wants from us, but never on what we want. Basing our self-worth on our titles and trophies and on how other see us leads to disappointment, which then opens the door to depression.
What we have been missing as we medicate ourselves with alcohol and other addictions is that these feelings of unhappiness come from our internal voice telling us we are out of alignment. Feelings of depression, sadness and anger are ways our spirit tries to message us that it is time to take the road back to our higher selves.
Reflect on your life and see your power
If you are doubting you are a force to be reckoned with, reflect on the challenges you overcame. You may have dealt with the loss of a loved one, bankruptcy, serious illnesses, unimaginable trauma, addiction, incarceration, humiliating defeat, divorce, unemployment, emptiness, war, loss of country and countless other hardships.
Yet, you are still standing; you persevered; you grew in toughness, wisdom and strength. Your power came not from your victories, nor was it diminished by your defeats. It came from your willingness to hang in there and deal with the situation at hand. The fact you are still here is a miracle and a testament to your power.
Your supremacy will continue to grow with every experience. Stop wasting your energy complaining, getting angry, blaming others, seeking revenge, or playing the victim. These things add nothing, in fact, they rob you of energy. Fearlessly pursue the things you want knowing that, when you fail, it is a message of clarity; you either need better preparation, or the thing was never meant for you in the first place. With this failure now behind, you can pursue the things that belong to your path.
Your power comes from the way you handle your challenges. Every one of them is helping you grow into the person a Higher Power created you to be. Freedom comes when you can welcome your challenges knowing they contain important lessons for you. You will know your power when you can conquer your trials, look to your future and say “next”. The world becomes your oyster when you do.
Photo by Miguel Bruna on Unsplash
