It is very common for conscious people to shy away from power, or at least feel guilty when they don’t. The word itself evokes imagery of corrupt politicians, greedy CEO’s, and war hungry governments. These types of people undoubtedly possess power, and lots of it, but is the power itself evil, or just a by-product of the source?
If power is the ability to influence others and your environment then power is inescapable. No one is completely without power, and no one can completely avoid using it. Even a hermit living in total isolation is not immune to this rule; the acquisition of food, the accidental killing of an insect, a deep breath- all forms of power.
What does this knowledge mean to conscious people? Should we limit our power as much as possible? Should we passively let others exert their power onto us? Should we “fight back”?
The list:
1. Consciousness does not imply weakness. If you allow yourself to be walked on, ego driven people will always use you as a stepping stone to some imaginary future in their head. This does not just apply to a shady car salesman or manipulative marketing campaigns, but your own personal relationships. Once acceptance becomes a major theme in your life it is very easy for your partner or family members, still in the grip of ego, to take advantage of you. When faced with a situation like this take a few deep breaths, become present, then act. It is imperative that you learn the difference between acceptance and weakness.
2. Do not fear your own power. You must not think of power as evil in itself. It may have a tendency to corrupt, but this is only because most humans are still unconscious, and power in the hands of the unaware almost always produces negative results. The greatest spiritual teachers in history all had great power, but they maintained presence in the midst of that power and changed the world. When you are aligned with the present moment your power is greater than any ego’s. This does not imply you have a bigger net impact than a powerful CEO, but that your actions, coming from a place of presence, will manifest in ways most beneficial to you and the universe as a whole. The importance of this cannot be overstated.
3. As your power grows so will the temptation to abuse it. When your actions start to produce positive results your confidence will grow. As this happens you may notice the dynamic of every relationship you have will undergo a change. This will manifest in many ways. Some will seem positive, others negative. Everyone reacts to a shift in power; it’s biological. What is important is that your awareness grows with your power. If you cannot maintain presence in the peaks of your power you will find yourself a slave to it. The mind can identify with anything, but perhaps nothing more strongly than power. If, however, you can remain conscious, you will find yourself capable of more than even your ego could imagine.
4. Power will always shape the world. You may have noticed that one doesn’t have to be conscious to wield power. In fact, people still in the grip of the ego, are most likely to find themselves in positions of great power. This is because the ego will justify anything to achieve its goals, and since it can never be satisfied, the game only ends when one awakens or dies.
There is no blueprint for humanity. No destiny to fulfill. If the power of the world continues to come from a source of ego, the status quo will remain the same; for as long as possible anyway. However, if the majority of power in the world emanates from a source of Being, a source of presence, a state of consciousness, then the world is a very different place.
consciouslists 