Life Lessons 5

The fifth life lesson is Power. True power is the outward expression of our inner being. Position and wealth are not true power. Control is not true power. The more you try to control others the less you have real power over them. Only when you let go of what you can’t control, including other people, will you be able to exercise your true power.

Wealth and poverty are states of mind that affect the way you live. Power comes when you adopt an abundance mindset. A scarcity mindset causes you to think like a victim, disempowering you. When you realize that power comes from within, you can exercise your power in every situation.

Don’t give up your power to others. When you let other control you and force their opinions, desires, and ideas on you, you give up your power. But when you express your own ideas, desires, and opinions you exercise true power. When you try to make others happy, you give up your power and become codependent. Victims abdicate their power and refuse to take responsibility for themselves.

Don’t fall into the “More Trap”. If you think that more money, more things, more knowledge, or more of anything is needed for you to be happy, you are trapped because you will never have enough; you will always need a little bit more. But if you realize that you already have all that you need to be happy, then you will be able to get more of what you want and it will increase the happiness you already have. As long as you are waiting for “tomorrow” you will never be happy “today.” Gratitude is power because it frees from the “More Trap”. When you are thankful for what you already have, you are free to enjoy life.

Guilt and shame rob you of your power. Guilt is based on what you have done and shame is based on who you are. When you do wrong, you feel guilty. When you realize that you are a bad person, you feel shame. Often others force guilt and shame on us by the way they treat us and talk to us. False guilt and shame needs to be removed by the realization that we were not responsible for the things that others have done. But guilt is usually based on the wrong choices and actions we have made. The way to freedom is through forgiveness. We need to believe that God forgives us in Christ, who died for our sins, and he accepts us now as blameless and guiltless in his sight. The blood of Christ takes away our guilt and washes away our shame. This freedom is obtained by faith alone in Jesus Christ. When you experience God’s forgiveness in Christ then you will have true power.