In the corporate and political worlds power and getting it become major preoccupations. The human desire for power is about wanting to be in control. It seems strange that those who are most obsessed with power and control can rarely, if ever, control their own thoughts, feelings, and destinies. Think of Napoleon, a real control-freak who went from emperor to prisoner. In spiritual life the focus on power turns inward and becomes about controlling one’s inner environment. As a spiritual aspirant grows in awareness the inner becomes the place of deeper reality and creating an inner life that is balanced and well-tended makes a huge difference in the way we live in the world. The spiritual path leads to a recognition that with training and practice it’s possible to begin to control the mind and change one’s thoughts. When this ability is manifested one begins to wield real power. Power becomes not a question of “power over” but of power to act or do something that will benefit and bring cooperation and harmony. 

Power in the world is changing. Many institutions that have held great power are losing energy. Economic power is shifting and spiritual power is growing and gaining greater respect. As you go through the day you may wish to begin to reflect on your relationship with power. In your relationships with others do you seek to take power over others or to gain power and control through manipulation? Do you choose cooperation? How do you relate to figures of authority like bosses and police officers? Do you have a reaction of respect or fear? Do you use your position of authority and power to intimidate and threaten others or do you use it responsibly and seek to help? Do you control your anger? Your thoughts? Your lower impulses?

By becoming aware of ways we relate to power both in the inner world and in our environment we can become more responsible and seek to create an environment of cooperation rather than coercion.

Bio: Debra Moffitt is the award winning author of Awake in the World: 108 Practices to Live a Divinely Inspired Life and “Garden of Bliss: Cultivating the Inner Landscape for Self-Discovery” (Llewellyn Worldwide, May 2013). A visionary, dreamer and teacher, she’s devoted to nurturing the spiritual in everyday life. She leads workshops on spiritual practices, writing and creativity in the U.S. and Europe. More at http://www.awakeintheworld.com and on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/DebraMoffittAwakeintheWorld