March 12 2014 The Secret to Personal Power Category: Relationships There is such a thing as personal power, but most people havent encountered it even remotely. Thats because their notion of personal power aims at the wrong goal. They define a powerful person as someone with money and status who can exert his will over others. Such a person is imagined to be strong, smart, lucky, and more than a little ruthless. Examples crop up from Washington to Wall Street, any area of life where competition is fierce and the spoils go to the victors. But the real secret to personal power lies elsewhere. The difference is that one kind of power, the kind Ive just sketched, comes from what you do while the other comes from who you are. Before writing this post, I reviewed in my mind the qualities Ive observed in the most powerful people Ive met over the past thirty years, and it was astonishing how many qualities come directly from being rather than doing. Heres my list: A powerful person has built a life filled with meaning and purpose. They are able to realize their intentions. They direct their attention with efficiency and focus. Their choices benefit themselves and the people around them. From inside themselves they tap into creativity, imagination, and insight. They can feel out a situation through reliable intuition. Their accomplishments havent led to self-importance -- humility and gratitude are present in their makeup. At the end of the day life is a continuous source of joy and equanimity for them, not a battlefield of struggle and frustration. Not every powerful person exhibits these qualities every day; room must be left for personal growth and a host of personal differences. Yet no matter how unique each of us is, we share a common source in the consciousness from which all personal power arises. Once you have made contact with this source, the most valuable things in life - love, compassion, strength, a sense of truth - can be accessed naturally. There is no need to rely on your ego to win them for you (or to do without once your ego fails at the quest). The kind of power Im describing isnt the fruit of worldly success - it lies at the source of who you are. Therefore, success is guaranteed and cannot be taken away. This message has been delivered for centuries by the worlds wisdom traditions, yet it is left to each of us, at any age, to realize the truth by testing it for ourselves. A journey is implied, a lifelong project to know who you really are. Its a problem that modern society has such conflicted notions about the inner world, where a muddle has been created by the conflicts between science and religion, contending approaches to psychology, the demands of daily life, and the buried aspirations we never achieve because we spend so much time and effort on distractions. Even so, these obstacles exist in the realm of doing. The realm of being isnt damaged by them; its door is always open. How do you recognize if you are accessing your own being? Personally, when I look at myself, I ask if Im living up to the following traits: Am I immune to criticism but responsive to feedback? Do I feel that Im beneath no one and superior to no one? Do I feel fearless? Am I standing up for my own truth? Do I find myself in the company of those who seek the truth (and act cautious around those who claim to have found it)? Do I exist in mutual respect with everyone I encounter? Do I feel the kind of courtesy that comes from the heart? Do I know when to defer and when to assert myself? These touchstones are the most valuable ones on a day-to-day basis because they tell me that I am connected to who I really am, my true self, as opposed to the image I project and the labels that others attach to me. Its not always easy to remain connected to being; you have to leave room for self-forgiveness and a wide tolerance for making mistakes. But the kind of self-power that is rooted in the self and not in ego is unmistakable and deeply satisfying. The fact that it is open to all remains one of the great secrets of human existence. Top comments Very Awesome JoAnnA ♥ // about 13 hours ago // 10 like(s) // Like Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom! I couldn`t agree more and I, too, choose to ask myself if I`m living up to traits you listed! And, I have noticed that who I am is reflected in what I do most often. Thus, the inside-out journey of discovery of who am I? is ongoing. Thank you so much Deepak! I recently began your incredible meditation series, purchased several books, all of your body products, and am waiting for a couple of your supplements in the mail. My intention is to become a Vedic Master through the Chopra Center beginning in 2015 with Perfect Health. I can hardly wait! LivingLifeFromTheInside-Out // about 13 hours ago // 5 like(s) // Like
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 11:33:29 +0000
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