Powergrid

WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY.

This does not only apply to Spider-Man.  This is not only for superheroes, CEOs, politicians and the suits of Wall Street.  This is for each and every one of us because power is simply the ability to do something.  Power isn’t exclusive or classified.  Power isn’t always a gavel, a bank account, an elected position, uniform or mere strength.  Power comes in a variety of masks and flavors.  We all have power within us and choose what has power over us.

Power can be physical, emotional, political, psychological- hell, I once thought power was looking great in a swimsuit.  I think the ability to make people laugh is magnetic.  I’m drawn to those kinds of people.  I find power in a really great black ensemble.  Olympians are more powerful to me than anyone in the White House will ever be.  And maybe that’s another crazy sprinkle on top of the cupcake that is my life, but power is subjective.  We don’t have to agree.  I always think of the Wizard of Oz…the great and powerful.  He was all fire and brimstone, smoke and mirrors.  He was simply a man behind a curtain who used fear and intimidation to gain power.  Substitute that curtain for a computer screen and you’ve got yourself a planet full of people who think they are wonderful wizards.

I find extreme power in words.  I never understood the saying ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’.  That’s not true.  Words are weapons of choice.  I’ve been hurt by several in my life.  I have a tough game face but a voice- its tone, its intent, its vocabulary of choice- has the power to unravel me.  Words can be promises or devastation.  Words matter.  Nowadays, with modern communication, our words aren’t only heard but can be read over and over again.  When you aren’t looking into the eyes of someone else, you don’t get to see what you’ve done or take ownership for the domino you tipped over.  We type in words and click buttons forgetting there are souls, imaginations and hearts on the other end.  Words are lethal.  They can slice and leave scars.  Words can also be potions that heal, protect and bring people back to life.

I find power in love.  There is absolutely nothing more magnificent in this world than the love you have for someone else and the downright amazing that comes with being loved.  When you are supported by people who adore you and lift you up and love you more than you probably love yourself, you may as well grab a crown and a cape.  It’s regal and divine and utterly fantastic.  Loving others is like finding all the missing puzzle pieces you’ve lost along the way.  Love is hope and magic and laughter.  Love is a light in the fog, a star in the sky and an extra beat in your heart.  Love has launched a thousand ships, lifts us up where we belong and is pretty much the beginning of everything.

I find power in kindness.  From giving someone the right of way to letting someone know there’s tp on their shoe, the smallest acts of kindness can be colossal.  Kindness is beautiful and saves this cruel world everyday.  Kindness is not in human nature.  We are taught to be kind for we come into this world all too ready to take and conquer.  Kindness is expecting nothing in return and doing it anyway.  It has no agenda.  It is empathy and sensitivity and all of the things smiles are made of wrapped up into a nice little gift for someone else.

I find truth to be insanely powerful.  Aristotle says honesty  is like a kiss on the lips and I have to agree.  The truth is all anyone wants and, dare I say, the world could use a whole lot more of it.  Between gluten allergies, marital statuses and news headlines, I don’t know what to think anymore.  All the twisting and stretching, I feel as if I’m living in an actual Game of Cards.  When you’re honest, you don’t have to keep things straight.  It is so much harder to lie than to be honest, but people do it with a handful of excuses in their head to justify their deceit.  It’s cowardly.  Lying creates an alternate reality that only serves one person.  Nobody likes a liar.  See history for details.  Unless it’s a surprise…the surprise lies get a pass.  Or about someone’s haircut…they can’t fix it, it’s been cut.

We all need to take responsibility for the power we have within us and the power that drives us.  We need to apologize, have conversations, choose our words carefully, walk tall, face our fears, be picky with whom we spend our time and own the path we are on.  You have the ability to steer, to change, to settle.  Don’t blame the world around you and act as a pawn blown around by the wind.  Or if you do, know that is your choice.  Power is always at your fingertips and it runs the world.  Run with it.  As Glinda tells Dorothy, “You’ve always had the power, my dear.  You just had to learn it for yourself.”