PANDEMIC DIARY
POWER? Not what you think.
July 21, 2020
What better thing to be?
Today I am thinking about my favorite quote, a quote I had held onto at a time when I was “riding high” yet doubting myself. The quote is by Marianne Williamson. Yes, that Marianne Williamson. The woman who was running for President. Also author of “A Course in Miracles”. I am not sure how to categorize her work. She is an author, lecturer and spiritual leader (whatever that is), but I admired her gumption in making two proposals during the presidential debates that no one else dared to introduce. Maybe because they wanted to win the nomination.
Her first proposal was for a Department of Peace. Why not? We study war. Ironic, isn’t it, that we investigate and study (at the cost of billions of dollars) how to prevail in a conflagration, but we have never put a cent into how not to engage in confrontations that can lead to all out war. Its almost too simple and too logical an endeavor that makes it sound silly or trifling, particularly to aging, gray haired white men who like to play armchair games.
Her second proposal was for reparations for the American descendants of enslaved Africans Americans. In what has been called a ‘stand-out’ moment in the second debate, Williamson stated that reparations was “financial assistance” as opposed to a repayment of debt. “We need to recognize, when it comes to the economic gap between blacks and whites in America, it does come from a great injustice that has never been dealt with. That great injustice has had to do with the fact that there was 250 years of slavery followed by another 100 years of domestic terrorism.”
Here is the quote that has had an enormous impact on me:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
I would like to ask the average person on the street what ‘power’ means, its dictionary meaning, not what it infers or implies, and I would guess that they would miss by a country mile. They might say power is control; domination; abuse; force; rule. As an example, “rule” is defined by control and domination and also, prevailing, and ‘taking over’. A judge rules, and he/she ‘adjudicates’, ‘determines’; leaders rule and they ‘dominate’, practice ‘authority over’, and ‘reign’.
If you search for power on a stock photo site, you will see a lot of ‘power lines’ - huge polls; steel structures conducting electricity; smoke stacks spewing dense, dark clouds into the atmosphere; hydroelectric plant facilities with massive infrastructure surrounded by thousands-acres man-made lakes; and, men using grinders, sanders, and heavy equipment. But, not one picture represents what power means if we go back to the dictionary…and not what it infers.
In our current societal climate, I dare say that ‘power’ is being confused by the idioms used to represent it:
— Absolute power corrupts absolutely
— Come into power
— Corridors of power
— The power behind the throne
— Power broker
— Balance of power
— Soft Power
— Staying Power
…and the list goes on.
The first and primary definition of power in any dictionary is: (noun) “ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something.” Power has for so long been associated with men; military; sports; party politics and downright corruption, that we have effectively lost its fundamental meaning. which describes degrees of capabilities and competencies. The meaning that can instruct and guide us. Again, it is not that these idioms, alternate definitions and phrases are incorrect. I am simply saying that the manner of use of the word power has become so overwhelmingly related to ‘force’, strength, and control that its use in any spiritual sense has been lost.
As a young person, I had an ‘outward’ personality. I was serious, assertive, and self-confident. To observers, I could either be adorable or obnoxious. And, to tell the truth, I am not sure much has changed for me in that regard. What has changed has been how I think of myself in relation to others. Although I am softer, a better listener, very considerate and generous, I learnt these traits to be more of the person I wished to be and not to succumb to others opinions or judgements. One can say, “I grew up”. But, I have not sacrificed my desire to be effective, capable, functional…to make things work, to fully engage my creativity and talent, and fulfill my potential.
The last piece is fulfillment. Love. True power.
The power that lies within us is our brilliance, our light, our love. Our power is a beacon which shines best when we lose the encumbrances of doubt, fear, and shame. We were meant to love. Williamson says it best,
“Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we learn. The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and prejudices and the acceptance of love back in our hearts. Love is the essential reality and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life. Meaning does not lie in things. Meaning lies in us…It takes courage...to endure the sharp pains of self discovery rather than choose to take the dull pain of unconsciousness that would last the rest of our lives.”