Personal power doesn’t come from trying to control external events and other people. A person cannot do what cannot be done. Life is not a matter to be man-aged. We have little influence on its outcome. Our only impact is on how we live it.
We didn’t ask for the responsibility of taking charge of ourselves, but it’s the only power to which we’re entitled. And to avoid the pitfalls we must recognize the corrupting temptations raised by both dominance and submission.
While power over others may sound desirable at times, real power is self-confidence and self-direction. These feelings of being in charge of our lives allow us the freedom to do as we please.
Once we accept the responsibility of taking charge of our own lives, we lose interest in controlling the lives of others.