One client shared a dilemma with me: “I know that I am ‘powerful’, but I’ve never known what power is, or if it’s just a figment of my imagination. I believe that I have something inside me to give, but I’ve never know to whom it could be offered, much less what it is that I have to offer.”
POWERFUL. A word filled with meaning, possibilities, and for some people, fear. Many people don’t even realize that they are powerful. That’s one of the big advantages of career counseling: find purpose and power.
Most people don’t believe the statement “I know that I am ‘powerful’”, and tend to brush it aside, and discount it. It’s frightening to them to think about actualizing their true gifts, and to begin to know what it would be like to realize their true potential. What can they do? If you are one of these people, what can you do?
First, you need to realize that you are a powerful person who has something to give to the world. Then, you need to take that sensation of being powerful, and transform it into reality in your life. This is the power of support being provided by career counseling. Find purpose and power when you make the commitment to your power.
Begin by thinking about the times in your life when you have held yourself back, and not allowed yourself to have what you want. What holds you back? A common fear is the fear of failure. You fear not achieving your objective, and being less than your potential, and so you don’t even begin to attempt anything. A less common, yet more paralyzing, fear is the fear of success. Most people look incredulous at the thought of this fear because our culture encourages success. Success is something we desire, not fear. Yet, if you are truly successful, and own your power, your life will change in many ways. As well as positive changes, friends and colleagues may be jealous or uncomfortable with your success, you may have to adapt to a whole new lifestyle and way of living, The status quo may not be what you desire, but it is comfortable, safe and known. This powerful, unconscious force motivates us to hold back our true power. Take time to examine all of your fears, even those that may not be readily apparent.
Many people have blinders on that allow them to only see what is in front of them and not all the possibilities. It may help to think of it this way – Imagine you’re on a boat on a river. Your possibilities are limited to the smallness of the river. Once you are able to embrace expansiveness and dwell in possibilities, you can see just how many possibilities there are. You’re able to sail your boat onto a vast ocean and not be limited by just the river. Stay as open as the ocean and you will be able to see possibilities that you never knew existed.
Once you have opened yourself up to expressing your power, it’s time to become clear on what that power is. For me, as a coach, I’m able to inspire people towards what they most want in life. Your power may be in organizing and managing information systems or in managing people in a caring and effective manner. It may be sharing your creativity, or designing incredible marketing plans. What should you give to the world? This is a question of great importance, and I think that the key factor is to look at your life. What things come easily to you, and fulfill you? When you consider the possibilities, you’ll begin to see what you can manifest to give to the world. You can embrace how powerful you are, and use that power to create amazing results in your life, and the world around you.