Right now, I’m undergoing a fascinating unearthing process with my branding consultant — the amazingly talented Jayme Johnson of Worthy Marketing Group — as I develop and hone the content for a new website and several new projects and business models I’m creating in the coming months.
I’m deeply excited about this process and the outcomes that are emerging. I do this type of work often with my own clients, but having a gifted branding partner for my own business is so stimulating and eye-opening. I’m finding that this hard excavation work of determining exactly what I LOVE to do with clients (versus what I don’t like or feel bored by), has helped me feel stronger, clearer and ready to be more of service in ways that reflect my true essence and strengths.
What’s been fascinating too has been to explore my own thoughts about personal and professional “power” and the importance of it to live a happy, fulfilled and rewarding life. As I read the thought-provoking book The Art of Power, by the renowned Vietnamese Buddhist Zen master, poet, scholar and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh, I realize I feel exactly as he does about power:
“Our society is founded on a very limited definition of power, namely wealth, professional success, fame, physical strength, military might and political control. My dear friends, I suggest that there is another kind of power, a greater power: the power to be happy right in the present moment, free from addiction, fear, despair, discrimination, anger, and ignorance. This power is the birthright of every human being whether celebrated or unknown, rich or poor, strong or weak. Let’s explore this exact kind of power…”
I believe that personal and professional power comes from tapping the deepest well of all that you are, and fully owning that – not fearing it, distorting it, suppressing or resisting it, or misusing it, but embracing it to become more of yourself, so that you can be of the highest degree of service to your own life and to others and the world. I’ve found that I have an uncanny knack for “seeing” in just a few minutes a woman’s “power gaps,” and I help clients see how the pain from their past has created an impediment to their power. From that exploration, we move on to uncovering the very essence of who they are, which reveals why their role and function in the world – no matter how big or how small – is so important, if they would only stop resisting it.
Why is “power” so important to a well-lived and joyful life? Only through accessing your fullest personal and professional power can you do the following:
- Create healthy, appropriate boundaries to protect yourself from damage and hurt
- Be of full service to others, your community and your world as you dream to and as is necessary
- Build relationships that nurture, nourish, strengthen, and support you
- Embrace and learn from positive critique and from life’s important lessons
- Feel deep compassion, empathy and concern for others, which allows you to feel it for yourself
- Keep from wasting precious time, energy, and resources on endeavors, relationships, and initiatives that you’re not meant to pursue
- Avoid having painful unfinished business and regrets during your life and at the end of it
- Speak up and ask for what you need, deserve and want
- Help others in their amazing pursuits that bring about tremendously positive outcomes
- Change the world
I believe that almost everyone on this planet has “power gaps.” The vast majority of us are not accessing to the fullest degree possible our true personal and professional power. That’s why this work feels so urgent and essential to me – there’s so much to do that can help unleash the potential we hold inside.
Now that I’m clearer about what I’m doing, I’d like to help you get there too. To move you on the path of accessing your fullest power and recognizing your critical role in the world, I’d ask you these questions (inspired by the insightful “strengths-based” work of Marcus Buckingham):
Can you identify what you’ve done or are doing that makes you feel strong, confident, and totally on your game vs. “weak,” bored, strained, or “less than?”
Identify those things that make you feel strong, and move toward them. Go where the energy and joy are in greatest abundance. That way, you’ll be on the road to closing your power gaps and accessing your true power.
I hope you’ll share your thoughts here – what tasks or roles make you feel strongest, most alive?
(And if you need some support to fully access your personal and professional power, join me on my FREE Monthly Career Coaching Call series – it will move you forward!)
Thanks for your personal marvelous posting! I genuinely enjoyed reading
it, you happen to be a great author.I will be sure
to bookmark your blog and may come back at some point. I want
to encourage you continue your great job, have a nice afternoon!
Hi Kathy –
I loved this post and also the honesty and personal vulnerability in most of your writing. It connects you with others and it is a big part of your power! Look forward to continued conversations with you on this topic – – and best wishes for great success in the work you’re doing.
Henna
Thanks so much, Henna. I truly appreciate your kind words. I believe that we help each other best and most by sharing our honesty and vulnerability, and being brave enough to be real. I’m glad it resonates with you. All best to you.
Thanks, Sherita. Appreciate the feedback!
Thank you for this truly inspirational and thought provoking post! I am a recent “convert” to your blog and always eagerly await for new posts! As a 27 year old girl-woman that is just beginning to fully realise her tremendous potential and power, this post couldnt have come at a better time.
I am Christian and I cant help but relate the power you mention herein to God. Knowing that I serve a God to whom NOTHING is impossible gives me the confidence, belief, faith and courage to pursue and succeed in all the “impossibles” in my life!
Thank you for this post and I wish you blessings upon blessings in all you are doing.
God bless u!
Thanks so much, Anita, for sharing about how you hold the idea of power and what it means to you. Your beliefs about your service to God are beautiful, and surely will help you experience that “possible” is a journey that begins with what you believe. Thanks, and blessings to you!
Magnificent beat ! I would like to apprentice even as you amend your site, how could i subscribe for a blog web site? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I were a little bit familiar of this your broadcast provided shiny transparent concept
Thank you for every other fantastic post. The place else may anyone get that type of information in such a perfect method of writing? I’ve a presentation subsequent week, and I’m on the search for such information.
This is because the skin of the face has been stretched
downward onto the neck and left there. Vitamin
E is an important antioxidant that promotes regeneration of body tissues by counteracting the harmful effects of free radicals.
Exposure to the sun’s ultra-violet rays can trigger the release of free radicals that hastens aging and appearance of wrinkles.
It’s actually an awesome plus handy bit of info. I’m just delighted that you simply distributed this useful information along with us. Be sure to stay us advised like this. Many thanks giving.
This web site truly has all of the info I needed about this
subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Very nice article, just what I needed.
Also visit my web blog; male enlargement techniques
Upon getting the your blog set up in No Hands SEO you can settle back even though it does all the back-linking work for you to get you better rankings plus much more site visitors.
Hiya very nice blog!! Man .. Excellent .. Superb .. I will bookmark your site and
take the feeds also? I’m satisfied to search out a lot of useful information right here in the submit, we need develop extra strategies in this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .
Look at my blog – how to get minecraft for free
It is as if you master my thoughts! You seem to recognize a great deal about it, just like you wrote the hem ebook inside it or something that is. I feel that you simply may possibly utilize a number of per-cent to be able to energy the solution house a bit, however instead of that will, this really is amazing site. A fantastic understand. I’m going to certainly back.
Good information. Lucky me I recently found your site by
chance (stumbleupon). I have book-marked it for later!
Hello, after reading this amazing post i am as well glad to share my
knowledge here with mates.
Hello there my good friend! I need to point out that this informative article is awesome, wonderful written and come with somewhere around just about all vital infos. I’d like to appear much more discussions in this way .
Your method of describing everything in this piece of writing is really good, every one be able to without difficulty know it, Thanks a lot.
Appreciate the recommendation. Will try it out.
My homepage Trena Marchan
Hi, i feel that i noticed you visited my site so i came to go back the prefer?.I am attempting to to find issues to improve my site!I guess its adequate to make use of a few of your ideas!!
This site was… how do you say it? Relevant!!
Finally I’ve found something that helped me. Many thanks!
I recently just like the information anyone give on your articles or blog posts. I most certainly will search for your own site and analyze once again the following regularly. I am moderately selected We’re instructed a lot of new products suitable right here! Best of luck for one more!
Hey Mike – Of course! I’d be delighted and honored if you shared the links to my blog, videos, and messages with your community. Many thanks for your interest in my work. All best.