My Concept of Power

Submitted by: Nicole Samuela, Mercy Family Services, Australia

To me the whole concept of Power is an illusion created by the ego. Nobody has any more power over you other than that which you are willing to give them.
Some would argue in the work place there are people who exercise authority over other employee’s making them feel powerless or dictated too. If this happens please know that is how you have chosen to interpret the situation. Sure in the work place you have positions of employment that are responsible for managing other employee’s however that does not put them in a more powerful position they just have a different role or different responsibilities in the work place than those they manage. It is merely your perception and definition of their position that makes you believe they are superior to you.

Bad things happen to good people all the time but that does not need to mean that they have to be victims. That is a choice made by the individual on how they choose to react to the situation. As a human being we have the ability to think for ourselves we have the ability to choose how we are going to interpret each situation as it appears. It does not have to be a problem but a situation that requires a solution. If we focus our energy on the facts of the situation instead of the emotion this perceived problem has created we put ourselves in a great position to overcome any obstacle that crosses our path in this journey of life by using the facts to find a solution. If you find yourself feeling powerless and unable to see a solution simply surrender yourself to it paying close attention to other opportunities this so called trial could be leading you too.

In the situation of prisoners in jail a colleague raised the point that in these circumstances all power is stripped from prisoners leaving them feeling very powerless. I argue that there have been several cases of individuals being incarcerated Nelson Mandela being one example, Mr. Mandela maintained a strong sense of self choosing to hold true to his beliefs despite being a prisoner for over 20 years he refused to allow anyone to have power over his mind.

How do we contribute to creating a society that feels empowered? May I suggest that we understand the facts. Fact is we have no power over anyone else other than ourselves. So the best place to start is by exercising self-mastery according to your personal belief system while at the same time respecting the beliefs of others (especially if they believe differently than you). By doing this you become a potential example or leader that others may choose to follow, potentially introducing them to a new concept that they did not know existed until you showed it to them by your example. Actions do speak louder than words and it’s not what we say to people that makes them listen to us it’s how we make them feel while we speak that determines if they are going to take on board what it is you have to say. The ability to control one’s self is in my opinion the key to freedom that nobody can take away from you and that is a very powerful position to be in.