Recognizing the Power of You
Yesterday I wrote about your ability to impact the energy around you. As a human being, this is one of your super-powers, so to speak. As a leader, this particular super-power is one which you can harness and use for incredible good. Along the same lines, there is an incredible power that resides in you, that is felt simply in the way you show up. I call this the power of being. Everyone’s got and yet, as a leader, when you’re at your best, your power of being is capable of accomplishing so much, impacting so much, and you don’t have to say a thing.
As a powerful — as in effective, not dictatorial — leader, there’s a way that your message, your vision, your ideas are so well known and articulated, that those around you know what you’re about, what you want, whether you speak or not. You don’t have to say a word, whether in reprimand, suggestion, or praise for people to understand where you’re at. Not that you walk around as a mute; but rather that you don’t HAVE to speak; your presence speaks for itself. This is an extension of the idea that you have the power to impact and shift the energy around you. You actually have the power to convey your message energetically, silently, simply by virtue of the fact that everything you do, say and stand for is in alignment and congruence. How cool is that?
Bottom-line: as an effective leader, your very presence has power. People around you know what you want and what you’re about without you every speaking a word. Your carriage, your actions, your wishes — all of these are in alignment. And so, your message speaks for itself, through your very power of being.
Looking Beyond the Let-Down, to the Opportunity
“Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward,toward finding the answer.” ~Denis Waitley
Yesterday I had the distinctly disappointing experience of being let down by a client. In a nutshell, the person in question told me that she would be pulling out of an agreement that we’d made. As near as I can tell, the pulling out isn’t going to be a permanent thing — it’s supposedly just on hold for a few months. And she assures me that she’s committed to continuing once a few personal ducks are lined up — she wants to keep doing the work she’s embarked on. All this aside, it was a disappointment in the moment nonetheless.
As I felt myself reel in response to this news, I simultaneously became aware of an urge to look beyond the let-down. And it was interesting to notice this urge. Because, of course, it was competing with the urge to be angry and vent a bit. As I sat with these competing urges, what I realized is that where I am in the long run, depends hugely on which urges I choose to follow moment to moment. In this instance, if I choose to follow the urge to be angry and vent, then I will stay in this “let down” place. If, however, I choose to follow the urge to look beyond — to the opportunity — then I will actually move forward. Which begs the question: do I want to stay here? Or do I want to move on?
What I know for sure is that this is the constant challenge for me. Not simply the “let-down” vs. “opportunity” question, but the question of “this moment” vs. “the future”. I know that there is power in staying fully present in the moment. And, I also know that sometimes, you’ve actually got to put your attention forward, even while you are aware of what’s happening now. It’s an interesting balancing act; and usually what lies ahead, particularly when it’s a specific goal or objective, has got a “wow factor” that the present-moment-spinning just can’t provide.
Bottom-line: when the thing that’s happening in this moment causes you to be caught in a whirlwind of negativity, you’ve really got to put your attention beyond the here and now. Look to what’s possible, look to where you’re headed and, while you appreciate what’s going on now, pull yourself to the opportunity beyond. It’s the best way to blend the power of now with the energy of wow.
The Point of Power is Right Now
You know, this is something I’ve been aware of for a while now…and yet, it still catches me off guard from time-to-time. It’s as though I’ve spent so many years either analyzing the past or trying to manipulate the future, that the business of staying right here in the present moment can be more than a little challenging. Let’s face it; for me it can be down-right paralyzing!
I believe I first read this phrase, “the point of power is right now”, in one of Louise Hay’s books. But I’ve since been confronted by variations on this theme wherever I turn. A number of recent “daily affirmations” have pointed to this universal truth; several authors which I’m currently reading have expounded upon this. And I guess what I’m coming to realize is that there really is no way around it — no matter what I want, no matter what I long for, no matter what I’m trying to change in my life, I’ve got to do it from present-moment energy. Looking backward keeps me stuck, and fast-forward motion has me spin my wheels.
One of the questions that arises for me out of all of this, however, is how to blend the past and future so that I can truly leverage the power of the present. I mean, I know that I can learn from past experience. And I know that to some degree I have to know what I’m heading towards in the future. So how do I do these two things, without losing my toehold on the present moment? These are the questions I’m dancing with now. And even as I write them, I have an energetic sense that the answer lies in the here and now. Go figure.
I guess the bottom-line is this: peace, contentment, happiness, joy — all of this stuff is to be found in this moment. So, ultimately, if those are the things I’m wanting, then right here right now is where I’ve got to hang out. I’m gonna give it a try.