The New Model of Power
What is power really? Power is often thought of as the ability to get your own way. When we get a lot of decision power over others, it’s easy to start thinking: Oh, now I'm a king or queen, so I have the right to exploit others and treat them as if they are less than me. This long-established cultural paradigm is operating to this day worldwide, not just in kingdoms but also in democracies. It is a misconception of power.
The true meaning of a sovereign power is to serve your tribe. It’s about you making the right decisions so everybody does well. It’s about being a humble, reflective leader. That’s not to say that you don’t matter, but no more than others – and no less than others. You matter with others.
This new model of having power with a major paradigm shift in our understanding of power. And, as we move from the culture of domination toward a culture of power with, does the dying culture let us be heard?
People of color are stepping into their own power across the globe and their actions can appear as a threat to the dominant culture. That dominant culture reactively wants to protect its usual way of operating and attempts to suppress those who are rising up within their own power. Yet the old structures are no longer able to operate as they once did.
On a grand scale, people of color, women, and other oppressed people are speaking up to say, “No more.” They are insisting, “I matter.”
This claiming of equal power is not new, however. Even amidst the most painful, horrible conditions of slavery, for example, the slaves developed creative ways of surviving and of holding onto their voice – through music, for example. Even though they had no power within a society, they reclaimed whatever power that they could at that time.
Speaking up is risky though. History has shown that even singing songs of freedom can bear a high cost. So how do we keep ourselves safe as we learn to speak our truth and reclaim our power? How do we avoid being smashed down again by the dominant culture that does not yet embrace this paradigm shift?
To begin creating safety for ourselves, it helps to recognize what genuine power feels like. That means getting familiar with the power within us, not the power of suppression, but the power of being with, the power that gives – and insists on – equal weight with the power of others. This intrinsic power is built into our very nature as a human being.
Your body is the home base for recognizing and experiencing this inner power. Ask yourself: If I am in my own power, how does that feel in my body? Can I say what I want to say? Accept the power that I have? What restrictions or openings might I be able to notice in my body that will give me clues?
In my weekly article next Friday on Linked In, I will offer you a variety of “power” clues to look for. I’ll also offer you tips on keeping yourself safe – tips you can trust because you can check them out right there in your own body.
In the meantime, feel free to start exploring on your own. Your body has a lot of wisdom to offer you.