In this preamble to an upcoming podcast, Chris Walker discusses the concept of personal power, emphasising that each individual is born with the innate power to choose, think, and act. He explores how people often give away this power due to a lack of awareness, feelings of unworthiness, or the desire for external validation. Chris warns against becoming a “puppet” to external influences, urging listeners to reclaim their power by maintaining clear vision, inspiration, and purpose, and by avoiding reactive behaviour that diminishes personal authority.

PODCAST

Introduction

Good morning, good afternoon, wherever you are. This blog post serves as a precursor to an upcoming podcast in our series, delving into the concept of power and how it affects every aspect of our lives. If you’ve already listened to the previous podcast on the topic of puppets, this discussion will offer a more refined perspective, focusing on the power inherent within each of us. Let’s explore how we often give this power away and how we can reclaim it to live a life of authenticity and purpose.

The Power You’re Born With

From the moment we’re born, we are endowed with a remarkable power—the power to choose, think, feel, act, and love. We can stop loving, stop acting, and even stop believing if we choose to. This power is our birthright, and it is essential to acknowledge and embrace it. However, many of us unknowingly relinquish this power, often due to the belief that we don’t possess it in the first place. It’s akin to having a gift and never opening it—potential wasted simply because it was never recognised.

Recognising and Respecting Your Power

Realising and utilising this power is the ultimate form of respect for oneself. Acknowledging that you have the power to be a winner, regardless of external circumstances, is a profound revelation. It means that you have the ability to adapt, to see situations from any perspective you choose, and to resist the compulsion to conform to others’ expectations. This awareness allows you to run your business, career, and personal life in a way that aligns with your true self. It’s a liberating and powerful stance to take in life.

The Trap of Unworthiness

One of the most common reasons we give away our power is a deep-seated sense of unworthiness. When we don’t feel deserving of our power, we start seeking validation from external sources—approval, acknowledgment, and even love from others. This pattern often begins in childhood, reinforced by education systems that reward us for pleasing teachers and parents. Over time, it becomes habitual, extending into our professional lives and personal relationships.

This external validation creates a cycle where we are constantly trying to please others, often at the expense of our own power. Holding your space, or standing firm in your beliefs and values, becomes increasingly difficult. Instead of reacting to the world around you, which diminishes your power, it’s crucial to observe and interpret it from a place of personal authority.

The Illusion of Power in Reaction

It’s easy to mistake reaction for power. For example, when someone annoys you and you criticise them, you might feel powerful in the moment because you’ve diminished them and elevated yourself. However, this sense of power is fleeting and ultimately deceptive. According to the laws of nature, any time you build yourself up by putting someone else down, you’re setting yourself up for a fall. This kind of reaction doesn’t make you powerful; it makes you a puppet, with the person or situation you’re reacting to pulling the strings.

When you react to something—whether it’s a person, an event, or even a promise of future rewards—you’re giving your power away. You become a puppet, with your strings controlled by the very thing you’re reacting to. This is the essence of what the philosopher Krishnamurti meant when he said that most people live their lives decorating a prison cell. Our judgments of ourselves and others trap us in a cycle of reaction, where we’re not truly thinking but merely reacting, becoming puppets to external forces.

Breaking Free: The Importance of Vision, Inspiration, and Purpose

The key to breaking free from this cycle of reaction and reclaiming your power lies in having a clear vision, inspiration, and purpose. When these elements are well-defined, they guide your actions and self-talk, ensuring that you act rather than react. This clarity is vital because without it, you risk becoming a reactor—a puppet to the world around you, rather than a powerful, autonomous individual.

Conclusion

In the upcoming podcast, we’ll explore these concepts in more detail, but this discussion serves as a foundation for understanding the language of power. If you’ve already listened to the previous episode, consider this a more refined interpretation, one that removes any bitterness from the notion of being a puppet. Remember, every time you react instead of act, you give away a piece of your power. Reclaim it by staying true to your vision, inspiration, and purpose.

This is Chris Walker. You have a beautiful day.

Bye for now.