In the monthly spiritual teaching calls I do for the Opening the Moneyflow program we had an interesting discussion about the nature of power.
I was making the point that when we’re afraid of power, we may be blurring lines, because there isn’t just one kind of power, there are many different flavors of spiritual power and presence. So I asked what kinds of power people could name.
One participant named “power over” and “power with” as two kinds of power, saying that “power with” was in alignment and “power over” was from the self and wasn’t really Divine.
In some circles this is a common way of thinking about power. And yet, it’s not completely accurate. For instance, I suggested, is it in Divine alignment to use power over to stop a young child from running into the street?
Or how about a volcano erupting, turning the landscape for miles around into molten lava, without getting buy-in from anyone first?
The truth is, when you express power it’s not always nice-nice. Those of us that are nice, or wish we were, need to come to grips with the truth about power: it impacts and changes things, not always with everyone’s say-so.
Of course that’s scary. Anyone with a heart and conscience would be bothered by the idea of being a volcano all over someone else’s life.
It’s Not Yours
The great thing about Divine expression is that it’s not yours. You receive it, you express it, but you don’t own it. Instead, it requires a certain humility and tenderness in yourself to surrender to what’s coming through, even if it is volcano-like.
This approach to power assures that it comes from love, from humility. It also helps to safeguard against your ego piling on and amplifying something beyond what it really needed to be. The Divine is very precise, and our egos can be brutes.
So instead of trying to be powerful, instead reach for empty. Be humble. Be weak and tender. And notice that your heart is a vessel and, once empty, can be filled with amazing Divine qualities.
The Flavors of Power
Traditionally Sufism talks about the 99 Names of God, which are also referred to as Divine Qualities. Innate, foundational, elemental qualities like Mercy, Love, Compassion. Included in this list are types of Power.
The Invincible in Might
The Dominator
The Destroyer
The Builder
The Able
The Remover of Obstacles
What other kinds of power are you aware of?
Ready to Power Up?
First, connect with your sincerity, you humility, your desire to serve. Take a moment, feel it.
Now connect to the heart of your business. Take a moment, feel it. For real. It’s there. Third, think of a situation in your business where you feel powerless, stuck.
Now ask, willing to be surprised, what kind of power is needed here?
Ask for that power in your heart. Not for you, not to own. But in service. Drink it in. Feeling that inside you, what’s your next step? How does that quality of power move you?
Share. I’d love to hear what you got from this little exercise. Has it changed your relationship to power at all?
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14 Responses
You did not mention the power of love. I think that all other types of “power” are directly connected to it (speaking of the positive ones) or disconnected from it (if we think about the destructive ones).
I think we should go from that..
Hi Johannis- it’s an interesting point about love. I specifically didn’t mention love because I wanted to highlight power in particular. As I look over the Sufi list of qualities, all of them could be fairly described in terms of love or in terms of power. But I wanted to drill down into power as it relates to how we think about it in English as a way of healing our relationship to it.
Great topic, Mark, and it helped me this morning as I thought about the needs of 4 different clients. I was feeling stressed out about it and focused only on the eternal question: How will I get it all done? They are all non-profits with great missions but very different roles in the world. Yet they all, in varying ways, present me with the opportunity to make the world a better place by my ability to amplify their messages. Focusing on humility and a desire to serve takes the tension away, and gives me a welcome sense of gratitude. Thank you!
Hi Maura- so glad to help you lose the tension and access gratitude! We all need to power up from a different place, because the work ahead of us is more than we can do on our own, eh?
Mark:
I just did your “Power Up” exercise and oh my gosh! When I asked “What kind of power do I need?” I saw a lightening bolt! My ego immediately started censoring because, come on! a lightening bolt? REALLY? I’m best known in my work for being able to hold a safe space for my clients to work and heal in. I took a breath and got quiet and continued the exercise. Being quiet allowed me to be with this “flavor” of power in my heart and recognize that it was not for me, or my own, but in service as you said. I could feel this power as Divine Expression, not as my own, so the “worry” of misusing or wasting it was gone. I can see now how needed a flash of illumination can sometimes be. Thank you so very much. I am truly grateful for the tremendous and powerful lessons you share with us each week.
Hi Joie- so very cool! A lightening bolt as a flash of illumination. I never cease to marvel at the beauty that’s presented through our hearts.
Hi mark, your article is good and interesting.Power up excerise is really amazing and and I cant explain what I am feeling after doing this.I really feel different.
So glad to hear that.
Mark,
Have you noticed those that want to “power thru” – often have under ultilized inward directed “strength”?
I notice this.
I’ve loved this process since I first heard you share it at a live event. So simple – and such a great way of helping folks remember they are resourceful, creative and connected.
Mark,
I read over the different divine qualities of power that you mentioned in your email this morning. The power to remove obstacles really spoke to me.
I feel that I always did that, all my life but by feeling connected to the Divine, I now feel that I can remove them with ease, joy and very little effort.
In the years past, I felt that in order to remove obstacles, I had to work HARD (a powerful childhood message). By expressing this divine quality THROUGH me, I now know that no hard work is required. What’s required is a surrender into this power so I can move mountains with the tip of my finger 😉
Thank you for allowing me to feel THAT strong this morning,
Blessings, Christiane
Christiane:
Thank you for posting this. Knowing that one can remove obstacles by surrendering and allowing this Divine Quality to express through one is just what I needed to hear.
Joie,
it is my pleasure to have been of service.
In my eyes surrendering is nothing more than blending, melting, aligning with the power of the Divine essence within you and around you.
Leaning into this power, maybe we can let go of the HARD-power and grasp the idea of the HEART-power instead.
Christiane
I didn’t feel any changes after Power Up but I still think that you got good points in the article.. I guess I need a little practice here
Hello,
Making a successful business in my opinion is something like a puzzle. We need to get everything in one piece, connect the dots and make the ‘game’ right. For a successful business you need a good product/website, marketing, SEO and smart-thinking.
George