The Push and Pull of Power, by Kinlen Wheeler

We have been discussing the second Gateway on the Journey of Enlightenment: Empowerment. Along with new feelings of empowerment in this step of the journey, many people find that they become more aware of the energy of power in relationships.

You’ve probably noticed that in some conversations you can feel the other person pushing energy at you. Typically, it is in the form of trying to persuade you. Think back to a time when someone wanted to convince you that their idea was the best and you should follow it, or approve of it, etc…

Can you feel the sense of pushing? And how about with yourself? Can you remember a time when you were the one pushing energy?

The journey is always about our own behavior, and not others. However, we can typically see in others, what we cannot quite see in ourselves.  So no need to try to help a friend become less pushy with power. It’s about recognizing how you use your energy in relationships.

How about pulling energy? Can you think of a time when you tried to get attention or energy of support from another person? Surely you can think of someone who is an energy drainer. Can you think of a time when you were drawing on someone else’s energy?

Another energy exchange can be giving your power away. When you don’t share an opinion you’d like to share, or you don’t participate in decision making, you can be giving your power away. For people who have suffered physical or psychological abuse, giving power away may be the only option for survival.

Giving power away can persist into adulthood, even where there is no threat. It can be a habit, or a learned behavior that becomes unconscious. I had a client who was terribly afraid of her own power, because she didn’t want to become abusive like her father. She didn’t realize she was choosing to give her power away, even in the loving relationship she was currently in.

When moving through the Pathway of Enlightenment, it is really important to become clean with our energy. That means to own our own energy by not giving it away to others, and to not push or pull others energetically.

The push and pull of power is a fascinating part of human behavior. Congratulations if you can see where you have pushed and pulled, or given energy away. That is a huge step forward in the journey to a happier, healthier life.

Next Blog post will be about Clean Energy.