Power

Human beings often delude themselves with assumptions of personal power which exceeds Nature. This is the basis of all shamanism or religiosity. Waking this morning to a crisp morning on the cusp of Summer and Autumn dissolves all delusions of power over Nature for me. My house, which has hummed for months with the sound of cherished air conditioners, was pleasantly chilly. My kitchen, with its wall of East windows, was dark. The ruckus of the neighborhood blue jays had a more urgent edge.

What is my power? Yes, I could have been a nuclear physicist, capable of incinerating the entire planet. Perhaps they are the true angry gods of humanity. But the ability to destroy is not the power to control or create. Some women feel powerful because they can "create life". Ask a woman with an adolescent child how powerful she feels. Donald Trump exudes a confidence in his personal power, but he cannot control his own mouth. 

Obsession with power over life's affairs or other people is a sign of fear. The dictator is a manipulative coward. History will bear me out on this. The power to live mindfully and compassionately within an individual life exists to the extent that the mind and body are healthy. Health ultimately is out of our control as we age. 

Surrendering to change with the daily intention to live a healthy life and to do good in society is a form of liberation which brings a sense of empowerment. That sense of empowerment is not power itself. That sense of empowerment is based in relinquishing control in favor of simple living. Opening the mind entails accepting powerlessness as well as accepting responsibility for positive change in my own life. This is one dichotomy of practice.