Standing In Your Full Power
Most of us are operating at less than full power, and we're not even aware of it. Something is missing from our lives and we aren't sure what it is.
When we operate at full power, our lives are richer because we live with authenticity, connection, meaning, service, and serenity. We are powered by passion that is grounded in love and not driven by fear-based anxiety. Service and love become our primary motivations rather than self-aggrandizement.
When we do the work of authentically packaging, promoting, and presenting ourselves we create a strong sense of identity, purpose, and self-esteem. We become what I call "high voltage communicators." But identity, purpose, and self-esteem alone cannot ensure that we stand in our power.
To operate at full power and become "high voltage leaders," we must consciously and consistently choose Self over ego. David Richo, Ph.D., in his book Unexpected Miracles: The Gift of Synchronicity and How to Open It, offers this distinction between ego and Self, "...the ego is our capability of light, and Self is the light."
Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung called the Self the "God archetype" within us, while the ego is the center of our conscious rational life or the bearer of our personality. When functional and happy, the ego helps us achieve our goals in life. When dysfunctional, it becomes inflated and its main objective becomes to save F.A.C.E.: Fear, Attachment, Control, and Entitlement, according to Dr. Richo.
To be at our full power we must shape ego so that it serves Self. To choose Self over ego requires:
- Focused attention.
- Unconditional acceptance.
- Inspired action.
Let's examine each.
Focused attention asks us to seek the high road and choose love over fear and service over Self. It requires us to examine our intention before beginning any transaction. Before I speak to a group, I ask myself, "Am I doing this to serve my audience, or am I doing this to gain applause?"
The Law of Attraction teaches us that what we focus upon, we manifest; what we focus upon expands. This is why living a life full of appreciation, gratitude, and love becomes so important. Every night before I go to bed, I recount three things, people, or situations from my day for which I am grateful.
Unconditional acceptance requires us to trust in the Divine Order of life. We do this by practicing trust, patience, and surrender. We don't hold on to outcomes, and we unconditionally accept the "what is." Paul Ferrini in his wonderful little book The Ecstatic Moment writes, "All suffering results from your refusal to accept and bless your life just the way it is now."
Paul Ferrini reminds us that when we practice unconditional acceptance, we say to ourselves:
I embrace the givens of life: beginnings and endings, aloneness, change, unfairness, unpredictability, and sometimes being given more than I can handle.
I open myself to every transformation that is ready to happen in and through me.
I respect the right of others to question or reject my path.
I drop the need for certainty; I am comfortable with ambiguity.
Finally, inspired action asks us to flow not fight. It requires us to listen to our intention and act upon inspiration. Inspiration can come from hunches, synchronicities, life events, physical sensations and illnesses, emotions, dreams, and other people; so we need to stay attuned to all these signs to assure that we're on the spiritual path. I find that when I'm feeling good I am on track.
If we find ourselves off track, we can look at what emotional blocks, doubts, fears, attachments, and negative mind talk might be in our way. If we are clear, then we can trust that our higher power has something in mind that is better for us and the world (back to unconditional acceptance).
We cannot employ these three strategies once and consider our work done. Instead we are called to practice them every time we make a critical decision or interaction. We are called to consciously choose the spiritual path every day and every moment of our lives.
When we authentically package, promote, and present ourselves we create a strong sense of identity, purpose, and self-esteem; we become high voltage communicators. But when we team identity, purpose, and self-esteem with consciously choosing Self over ego, we become high voltage leaders and stand in our full power, becoming the full expression of all that we are.
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Copyright 2006, All Rights Reserved
The Career Engineer" Randy Siegel works with organizations to take high-potential employees and give them the leadership and communications skills they need to be successful as they rise through the organization. Purchase his book PowerHouse Presenting: Become the Communicator You Were Born to Be through Amazon.com, and subscribe to his complimentary monthly e-Newsletter at www.buildyourleaders.com.