The Power of Power

The greatest use power is to empower others. There is a vast difference between inspiration and manipulation. When we manipulate our brothers and sisters we deprive them of their power for the selfish exercise of our own.  However, when we inspire those around us we awaken the best within them. Manipulation as an act of self-centeredness has a very short shelf life; it must constantly be reinforced, while inspiration is far more durable. Here lies the ultimate power, the power to inspire.  

We often justify overpowering others, by force of our strength or guile, while thinking it is for their own good or for the good of others. Among adults this form of behavior will never result in permanent good. If lasting change is what we desire, it can best be accomplished by changing hearts and not minds. To inspire others, and have no control over the outcome is a risky business, but one that is an essential part of empowerment. Our goal should be to inspire others to be the best them and not the best us.  

Judeo-Christian theology is replete with stories of miracles but perhaps the greatest of all is to make a miracle of others. We can accomplish this in small and large ways. A smile, an act of kindness, a word of encouragement, these can become the stepping stones upon which those in our life may travel along the winding highways and byways of life. Many a tormented soul has found sustenance in seemingly small kindnesses, for it is here that real miracles unfold.  

As noted, true empowerment does not have a stake in the outcome. The goal here should be to awaken in others that which will bring about their own outcome. We should strive to enable others to live their own dreams and not ours. It is not unkind to have our own preferences for the outcome but the desires of those we empower should be of primary importance. At very best, we empower others to awaken in them a sense of their own vitality, their own resourcefulness, and their own potential; leaving the rest to them.    

Finally, it is essential to remember life is lived in the seemingly mundane. It is where the ordinary may be transformed into the extraordinary, and where miracles can take place. Let us resolve to spend our power to empower others, to perform the greatest of miracles by making a miracle of those in our lives.

2 Responses to “The Power of Power”

1. Elaine Singer says:

   February 7, 2012 at 6:47 pm

   Love this. This is also what prayer is for. As we pray for another, praying for their highest good, what God would want, not what we believe should happen, real prayer occurs. Some people pray believing they know what is best for another in lieu of trusting God to provide the increase. Daily prayer brings changes in unimagined ways; both to the person praying and those receiving. But if it is done from a desire for power, for control, to create the outcome, it is manipulation. Mahalo, my friend.
2. Harvey Green says:

   February 8, 2012 at 7:32 am

   Mahalo Ealaine.. As always, your comments are as insigtful as they are uplifting.