Day 10 of Finding Your Flow meditation is about activating our personal power through the third chakra. A lot of us have uneasy relationships with the concept of “power”, often because we have seen the destruction that can be wrought in the name of power. And some of us have even been directly harmed by someone’s use/abuse of power.
But Deepak and Oprah are talking about a different kind of power. It’s more the strength that comes from being connected to the universal energy and the belief that you can intend and manifest your dreams. It’s also the ability to have boundaries and protect yourself.
The power, or third chakra, lives between our belly button and sternum—also known as the solar plexus. It resonates with the color yellow. We source our sense of courage and confidence from this chakra.
Our workplaces are ripe with all kinds of power, which can get confusing for us souls@work. In my consulting work, I teach about workplace power and the importance of having the business acumen to accurately read networks of influence.
People can have workplace power based on the roles they hold such as their position or job title (e.g., CEO), and/or their ability to give rewards (like raises) or punishments (like speeding tickets 0r demotions). People can also have power because of personal qualities such as expertise they hold (think lawyers and IT) or their personality. This type of power (called referent power) stems from the fact that people genuinely like the person and want to please him or her.
You can have more than one type of workplace power and it’s important to know which type of power you hold as well as those around you. But that is very different from your personal power.
Your personal power transcends position, job, and even situation. It is grounded in the universal source of energy and is yours because you are a Divine being. In fact, we all have this type of power simply because we exist. But not all of us tap into it or use it consciously.
So the lesson here is to tune in to your third chakra and learn how to access and dial up your personal power. From it, you will find a strength that is beyond imagination. Your ability to speak up for yourself or others comes from personal power as does the courage to be vulnerable and take risks.
How do you see power play out in your workplace? What causes you to feel powerless or weak? And how can you use your personal power to transcend those moments with calmness and grace in your heart.
Namaste.