Marshall Brain, educator/writer and founder of www.howstuffworks.com, when describing how electric power grids work, explained: “Power is a little bit like the air you breathe; you don’t really think about it until it is missing. Power is just ‘there,’ meeting your every need, constantly. It is only during a power failure… that you realize how important power is in your daily life.”
As far as I am concerned, the same holds true when we talk about people power. Call it authority, control, influence, clout, or the ability to persuade, most of us don’t think about whether or not we’ve got enough of it unless or until we believe we don’t have any.
There is a difference between a human power outage and a human power failure. You know you are having power outage when you hear yourself say (to yourself or others): “He/she won’t let me …” or if you repeatedly use that dreaded and awful four-letter “can’t” word. A power outage is when you don’t use the power you have or when you don’t think you have any power to use. A power failure, on the other hand, is knowing you have power, but using it to harm or refusing to use it to help.
An empowered person, among other things, knows the following to be true, and can say, without equivocation:
• I make a difference just by being
• What I do and what I say has meaning and significance
• I respect the limits and boundaries of my responsibility and authority
• I am accountable for my actions and my statements
• The choice to take action or not take action is mine, and mine alone
• Yes, I can!
Influential people know about power generation, power conservation, and renewable forms of you energy that can be used to make a positive difference in your life and in the lives of others. (Have I taken this metaphor too far now?) If you believe you are having a power shortage, I hope you will use what power you think you do have to call and make an appointment!
May the force be with you!
Call Debbie to schedule a consultation with her for therapy or coaching in Valencia at 661-259-5986 or Encino at 818-385-0550.