How do you feel about being powerful?

I am an empowerment coach.

I was reminded recently that the super positive, life-giving, POWERFUL understanding of the word “power” I have and use in messages like these isn’t always how others understand the word.

It’s not even how I used to understand the word, just a few years ago.

Power, to me, used to mean something other people had (i.e. people “in power”) that I didn’t. Or they had more, and I had less. Or in the rare moments I was in the position of power (being white creates a lot of those, even when I don’t go looking for them), I felt that power to be dangerous, something I should immediately give away to equalize things. Sometimes, each of these things was true. But not always. Not inherently.

Today I understand power much more… powerfully.

Allow me an Instagram-style introduction* to power, as I understand it:

Some truths I hold about power:

You are full of personal power, even on your most exhausted day

Being authentic is a form of living an empowered life

You can’t be empowered if you aren’t awake to life

You can have power and not live in an empowered way (i.e. if you aren’t awake to life)

When you use your personal power, it has huge ripple effects. Use it positively for positive ripple effects.

“Power” does not need to inherently mean power-over someone or something.

Other words power could go by: inner strength, personal capacity, resilience, core confidence, agency, self-efficacy

Power combined with compassion can save the world

The list continues to evolve.

What is your relationship with the word “power”? Does it feel like something you have, or something others have over you?

Words are powerful. Let’s be powerful together today,

Christin

*For those unfamiliar, when someone gets a bunch of new followers on Instagram, they often post a video introducing themselves, sharing a little insight into what they stand for, a peek into their personal life perhaps, and/or provide a smidge of clarification and connection. I love these kinds of posts, even for people I’ve followed for a long time because it’s so interesting to see how someone describes themselves. I often learn something new even about people I’ve followed a long time.