Video Blog Transcription:

(00:00):
Welcome to the Natural Way of Being Video Blog. This video is titled “Differentiating Power and Intent”. Many of us have a difficult time owning the power of our being, and yet we're encouraged to do so.

These books we read and workshops say own the power of your being, step into your power, step into your personal power, own the power of being a woman, don't give your power away, or claim your power back. Yet we still have this resistance to owning our personal power, owning our spiritual power, our natural power.

(00:50)
And I'm wondering if it's because we've seen so much misuse of power. We've seen power used in destructive ways or in abusive ways. All types of abuse in one form or another are about misusing power.

Child abuse or incest is the misuse of power between adult and child. Sexual harassment is about the misuse of power between boss and employee. There could be a differential of power between men and women, at least in physical power, so sexual assault, rape, and domestic violence are a misuse of power.

Gender discrimination is a misuse of power. Racism is a misuse of power. Tyranny is by definition a misuse of power between someone that has political power or societal power and someone that doesn't.

(02:02)
So I'm suggesting we differentiate between power and intent. So let's start with power. I'm going to break power into two types. The first is about energy. Power is energy, the energy of our being, the power of truth, the power of beauty, the power of strength, and the power of charisma and leadership. This is an energy that emits from our heart, from our being.

The other type of power is kind of what I talked about before, it's a discrepancy of power in relational roles. It's situational between parent and child, adult and child, teacher and student, doctor and patient, boss and employee. There's a discrepancy of power in these situations.

(03:12):
Power becomes destructive or haywire due to harmful intent. When we have the intent to gain an advantage, or take advantage, or get over on another person, or exploit. Those are all intents; it's not the power itself. This is a subtle distinction, but I really want to make it here. It's not the power itself, it's the intent of how we use that power. In a sense, all abuse is a misuse of power.

Now, this intent is not always conscious. That's why it's tricky. Someone can have unconscious malintent, and they may not even be aware of it. but still I would argue that it's the intent and not the power itself that is becoming abusive or destructive.

(04:13)
Because, if we say that power is evil or negative in itself, it would be like saying that money is evil, or it would be like saying that sex is evil. Now have people done a lot of evil things with money and with sex? Absolutely. We have corporate greed and all kinds of exploitation that happened with money. And obviously, with sex, there is sexual assault, trafficking, and sexual abuse.

But it would be silly to say that money is evil, or sex is evil. It's the intent of how we use money. Money itself is energy. Sex itself, you could say, is energy- like power is. It's all about our intention of how we relate to and use these things.

(05:08)
So if we can have mal-intent or negative intent with power, we just as easily can have positive intent with power. We can use power to make a positive difference with clear intent. We have the intent to make a difference.

We can touch someone's life. We can change the world. We can make a difference in our community. We can love our child or teach a child. All of these are using our power to make a positive difference.

(05:48)
So back to how we started this, own the power of your being. The world needs well-intentioned powerful people. It needs powerful teachers, which teachers have power. It needs powerful police people. It needs powerful bosses. It needs powerful men and powerful women. It needs powerful doctors, powerful yoga teachers, and powerful therapists

All of these inevitably have this power differential, but yet it doesn't mean we shouldn't step into our power and use those various powers to make a difference in the world.

(06:35)
Is power Intoxicating? Is power seductive? It can be. So have a way that you do your work, have a way that you check yourself so that you don't misuse your power. For most of us, you would be misusing it unconsciously.

So do your work, look at yourself, whatever that is- through therapy or coaching or journaling or inquiry, or however you do your work. Do your work so you can be clear when you step into your power,

(07:11)
But then let it rip. Let your power naturally flow from your being. The world needs powerful people. If nothing else, it needs powerful people to kick the asses of the people who are misusing their power. What about that argument?

So back to where we started this, own the power of your being. The world needs you to own the power of your being. Your community needs you, your family needs you, your clients need you to step into your power, and allow it to flow, and feel good about it. Because power is a beautiful thing if it has proper intent.

(08:01)
So anyway, that is my video blog for this week. Thank you for watching. I hope you have an awesome week, and that you're able to own your power and use it to make a difference out in the world. And I will see you in a week.