What true power looks like

I read an article yesterday about Joan Baez and how she responded to a confrontation by angry right-wing protesters that got me thinking about the power of the serenity prayer. Here’s the serenity prayer for those unfamiliar with it:

God/Universe/Higher Power grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

You can read the article about the confrontation here and then come back…

Imagining that confrontation brings up images of flexibility, depth, calm, flow, power – like bamboo bending in the wind but never breaking; like Neo dodging bullets in The Matrix once he fully owned his power. Joan recognized she didn’t have control over the actions, experience, or feelings of other people, but she did have control over how she responded.

It got me thinking about the subtle but significant difference between power vs. force - and how the serenity prayer is a useful tool if living a powerful life is the goal.

Living powerfully means living in a state of awakening - becoming more present to your life and more available for others, relaxing into the now, not latching onto any negative feelings but instead allow them to move through you when they arise, being flexible, curious, open-minded and focusing on things you have control over – basically finding and living in the flow of your own life.

Over the past few weeks, the health care debate and the tone it has taken has proven to be a great opportunity for me to practice living the serenity prayer and staying in my own flow. At times when I become irritable, judgmental, and generally distracted by listening to the news, I whisper the serenity prayer over and over again to break the cycle of negative thought. I tap my wisdom and it shakes we awake, reminding me of my power. Power is not something someone gives us or takes away – it’s something we tap into. Power is inherent in all of us – some use it & build an empowered life based on it, some don’t and as a result live a life anchored in fear of what others do, think, say and feel. Joan brilliantly demonstrated what it looks like to live powerfully.

There’s a fundamental flow to life in general – day turns into night, up/down, sun/rain, crankiness and bliss…it’s all necessary and natural. The in breath is just as essential as the out breath...the universe has a pulse that we can tune into. And we become imbalanced – physically, emotionally, spiritually - when we hold our breath, fighting with the flow and trying to control what we have no control over. It’s this imbalance that is the precursor to stress, fatigue, overwhelm, and distraction.

Find your own unique flow, stand in your own power, and focus on what you can control to achieve the results you intend (setting intention is key, but more on that another day). Don’t fight life, but bring your power to each and every interaction and watch your life expand into an abundance of love, success and joy.