Hello friends and welcome to my 89th blog.
Last Saturday I attended the Southern Africa Neolife Convention 2022. It was an incredible day. I am astounded at the number of amazing people in Southern Africa doing extraordinary things. In the midst of big political instability, following the devastation that Covid has caused to so many and with the ever-rising rate of unemployment, there are folk going out there and making a difference in people’s lives. They are teaching individuals about their health and wellness and how to build a business, whilst earning a much-needed income. I was super impressed and felt a little inadequate, and it made me think (again).
We also had inspiring speakers at the convention, one of whom was the charming Ricco Brown, the international vice president at GNLD. I found his talk fascinating, and what resonated most with me, were his thoughts on Personal Power. I have never heard of this concept, but my introduction to it made me want to delve further.
So, guys, I am not talking about load shedding or power cuts here. The ones that we as South Africans, living in South Africa, have become beyond familiar with. I am so over these. My thoughts today are on our personal power.
There are two main types of personal power, referent, and expert.
Referent power refers to the kind of power that comes from charisma and the ability to unite others around a shared goal. These people are skilled at influencing and empowering others. They often have expert communication skills and are strong public speakers. They also have solid social skills and are great at making others feel at ease.
A person with expert power is someone who has intimate knowledge of a particular subject. Their loved ones ask them for advice and their colleagues consult them in the workplace for strategic decision making. These folk are often considered thought leaders and make excellent mentors.
Expert power is just as important as referent power, but it’s okay if you do not have both. It really is a personal preference.
My blog today is about general personal power .
Folk who have strong personal power –
- Can lead others, without needing to be at the front.
- Are happy to listen to others without feeling threatened by their own beliefs or convictions.
- Enable others, without expecting anything in return.
- Are happy to learn, fail, and own up to mistakes.
- Communicate powerfully, not forcibly.
- Get so much done and are always prepared to contribute.
- Achieve their goals and remain focused.
- Have a solid network of peers.
- Keep their promises and are trustworthy.
Wow! I want to have every one of these qualities!
Below are some thoughts on how I might develop my personal power.
- Acknowledge it.
We need to become more self-aware in order to retrieve our personal power. I believe I am making huge strides in this area. I am able to quiet my inner critic as it strives to sabotage my esteem and I am realizing that perhaps I can make a difference in a couple of lives. Essentially, it is about valuing myself and having the courage to go for what I deserve and aspire to, realizing that I am worthy and can achieve it all.
- Maintain Integrity and consistency.
I am happy that I have both of these. My moral and ethical compass keep me on the straight and narrow and I am making strides in maintaining my consistency. Not the easiest path at times, i might add.
- Maintain a growth mindset.
We have chatted about this in a previous blog. Learning does not just involve studying. It involves doing. I am striving to achieve both. This takes courage, but I will be brave!
- Have a plan.
I have a plan but feel that I do need to make it more detailed and specific. There just seems to be so much that I want to do, so I need to work on this, in order to achieve my goals. My plans change and are actually quite fluid which is also fine. I must also trust my plan.
- It’s not all about me.
Contrary to popular belief(mine, kidding) it is not all about me!! It is beyond important that I realise the importance of others in my aspirations and aims. I am grateful for all the amazing people in my life who continue to support me. I am hoping to do the same for others.
- Stop Stressing.
Oh dear ! I really struggle with this. My life is busy, so recently I decided to add a good dose of B vitamins to my supplement regime, and this is helping. When I exercise and do my breathwork, I also seem to manage my stress and anxiety more. However, there are still too many times when I am unable to accept the things over which I have no control. I do believe that my daily acts of kindness have also been a positive stress reliever and counting my blessings mostly seems to be pretty effective.
- Learn to listen.
Another work in proper progress. Often, I feel that I have just nailed this, but at other times, it is an epic fail of monumental proportions. We have spoken of this, often. I am determined to persevere in this endeavour..
- Be confident.
A great deal of the time I do feel confident. In my physio niche, I believe in myself and my ability, and as a nutritional advisor I am definitely now properly finding my feet. Socially, I have not really struggled with self-confidence but there are times when I do get a little sad and I do feel a tad insecure However, that is the case for most folk that I know. My confidence is perfectly fine with my immediate family, I also try to surround myself, mostly with my tribe, like-minded people, who make me feel that I can conquer the world.
- Have fun.
I have nailed this and continue to do so with the greatest ease. There is not a day that goes by that I am not blessed to laugh and, even on those very occasional days when the laughter ends in tears, it is still so cathartic.
- Be real.
I am trying to practice being me, the authentic me. I can still be kind whilst doing the things that feed my soul and make me feel fulfilled and contented. sometimes are easier than others.
- Bounceability
I love this word. It’s the ability to bounce back from negative experiences. It’s being able to regroup, reset and restart. I am able to do this but sometimes with a little help from my friends and Madeleine. I have learnt (the hard way) that for me it’s important to recognize when I have been through stuff and then work through it before things go belly up. Cautiously optimistic that this seems to be progressing well.
- Embrace mistakes.
We have spoken of this before. Failure and challenging times can be our greatest teachers. Sometimes I am okay with this, and at other times not. It’s really just about getting back up, shaking off the dust and taking another step forward. I will work at this.
- Do not give away your power.
Our emotions and thoughts are really not an indicator of our potential or the incredible future we may create and results we may produce if we should choose to use our power rather than give it away. We are the masters of our destiny, and no-one can take this away from us. I am trying very hard to take heed of these wise words.
- Be kind.
The fantastic news is that we can take control of our lives and seize our personal power, and still be kind and thoughtful. My feeling is that this may even enhance our kindness as we realize how blessed we really are.
Please note that I am just taking a superficial peek at this big subject. Also, one size does not fit all, and my personal power may be very different from yours.
Wishing you all loads of positive personal power!
With thanks to Shonna Walters, Craig Harper, Mandie Holgate and Nina Amir