Last week I wrote about tapping into my own power by claiming my inner authority and following the calling of my soul. My of my wonderful readers promptly replied, “How?” I believe that question is at the crux of what we are called here to do in our lifetimes. How do I become grounded and centered enough to not succumb to the patriarchal definition of power (power over)? How do I claim my inner authority and connect to the power within? There are some very practical things to consider.

It is a lifetime process. Hopefully I am constantly learning, evaluating, and reevaluating what works and what doesn’t work in my life. Through a process of trial and error, I learn and grow. I discard that which doesn’t work for me and try on new thoughts and behaviors that might better serve me. It is never one and done. There is always more to learn.

I must have the desire to grow. If I am perfectly content to live out patriarchal and societal expectations, nothing will change. My heart must long for a better way in order for me to become conscious that there is a different way of living in the world. I must actively seek growth.

I must focus on the inner work. I must turn my attention to my inner world. When I pray, meditate, listen, discuss, read, contemplate, I become more aware of the power of the infinite within myself. I begin to find that these practices become more important than that power that is manifested in the outer world. I begin to soften and open my heart to a new way of being.

I must begin to love myself. If I don’t love and accept myself, I cannot find empathy and compassion for others. The “power over” paradigm becomes a default way of being that I can justify in my heart because I cannot see or understand that the “other” is me. Then it becomes easy to trample on others by whatever justification seems to work at the moment. In addition, loving myself allows me to claim my sovereignty and set loving boundaries that mirror my own spirit. Loving and accepting myself as enough helps me to accept others as enough. We each have our own paths to follow, and I don’t have the right to tell someone else what their path should be.

I must be willing to step beyond the fear. It is a scary thing to step out of the collective paradigm and to choose a different path. Society has a way of punishing those who don’t conform. That punishment can range from shunning to murder, and I carry these lessons from the past embedded in my DNA. I must be willing to speak and to act in spite of the fear in my very bones. I must be willing to use my voice, to stand in my enoughness, to be who I am called to be, knowing that the consequences may not be pleasant.

I must listen to my inner voice. Every time I step into this process of growth, I am listening to that still, small voice within. Whatever I call the voice – inner knowing, intuition, Nature, Source, God/dess, Soul – that voice is what calls me to become my true self. It is the guide to tapping into my inner power and becoming who I am meant to be in this lifetime.

Barbara Garland
November, 2022