11 Ways You Have More Power Than You Think

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What does power mean to you? What does it look and feel like?

What is your relationship with power? Do you crave more of it? Have tonnes of it already? Believe that it’s something you are never going to have.

What’s your definition of power?

I thought I’d take a look at how the dictionary defines power (in this context, we’ll look at the noun definition)

The ability to do something or act in a particular way

or

The capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events

Many of us (including me) forget how powerful we truly are.

Let’s look at 11 ways you have more power than you think.

Disclosure – This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Any compensation I receive does not affect the price you pay.

Power lies in your choices

Because many of us make so many choices and decisions every day, we often overlook that the ability to make those decisions and choices is a power within itself.

Of course, what we do with our decision-making power has a profound effect on our lives.

Sometimes our choices and decisions are clear and easy. Often they can be more complicated and it goes without saying sometimes they are extremely difficult!

Sometimes we get it right and sometimes we get it wrong. Often we end up feeling somewhere in the middle. Sometimes when we make a bad decision we get a chance to correct it.

Logic, data, our feelings, and our gut instinct all play an important role in our decision-making process. Trusting ourselves (particularly when it goes against what everyone else is saying) is vitally important. Our power lies in trusting and believing in our choices.

Power lies in your habits

Our habits can be immensely powerful.

It goes without saying that I’m referring to our good habits in this instance. Our bad habits tend to erode and diminish our power.

Healthy routines, self-discipline, and productive repetition all contribute positively to our confidence, our sense of self-worth, and our ability to implement positive changes and growth in our lives.

We often take our habits for granted (we do them without thinking about them much after all) but they can be a key driver in moving our life forward. Now that’s powerful!

Power resides in your habits. These books can help you create new habits.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear. This is an excellent book. I particularly enjoyed the section on identity.
Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by BJ Fogg PhD

Power lies in your bonds and friendships

I would be lost without my friends. I don’t have tonnes of them. I’m more the quality over quantity gal.

But man I know and appreciate the importance of having the close bonds of friendship and family. I know how important they are in my life and I know the security, trust, and honesty they bring.

Connection is a potent force not to be underestimated or taken for granted.

Related post – Do You Need to Reconnect with Old Friends?

Power lies in your financial decisions

I’m not talking about being rich here. This isn’t a have-or-have-not situation when it comes to money.

This is about how we spend our money, regardless of how much we have of it.

Each of us has power in what we spend our money on. We decide if we value experiences over possessions, help people less fortunate than we are, or buy ethical products.

We decide if we want to spend our hard-earned money on cigarettes, junk food, booze, drugs, gambling (pick your poison!)

We decide if we buy the most expensive product (and no that’s not always the best one) or the one that best suits our needs.

We are the ones who decide what is a want and what is a need.

There is immense power in owning our financial decisions.

Power lies in your resourcefulness

Our ability to change direction, come up with a solution, or try a different approach is powerful.

Despite common misconceptions, it’s not always the smartest, prettiest, richest, or strongest that excel.

It’s often the person who is the most resourceful.

It’s the problem solver. It’s the creative mind. It’s the idea creator. It’s the one who can be flexible and agile when it comes to change and challenges.

It’s the person who is quick to come up with a solution. It’s the one who comes up with solutions to problems, while others are still asking – why did that happen?

Related posts –

Power lies in your patience and persistence

Let’s face it sometimes the person who excels is the one who has the strength and patience to hang in there.

They had the persistence to keep going because they knew in their heart of hearts that it was the right thing to do. Was it hard? Yes. Were there days or weeks they wanted to just give up? Hell yes!

But they didn’t. They kept going and worked through the struggles and challenges. They persisted and showed their true power.

Power lies in walking away

Walking away can be one of the hardest things to do.

We stay in jobs we dislike or careers we hate. We stay in toxic relationships. We might put up with family members who treat us horribly.

In case you were wondering, it’s no coincidence that the walking away section came straight after the one on persistence.

It’s because there can sometimes be a fine line between the two (particularly when it comes to bad treatment from other people).

Sometimes our power lies in admitting something is wrong, broken beyond repair, or not worth pursuing.

Often our greatest power is in our ability to say – That’s it, I’m done.

Related post – Don’t Let Anyone Else Define Your Worth

Power lies in knowing your own worth

There is power in knowing our own worth no matter what crap life throws our way.

We can be fired or have our partners leave us brokenhearted yet we pull ourselves together despite our pain because at our core we know our worth will not be affected by outside influences.

Granted when these things happen we don’t feel powerful. Most of the time what we feel is devastated, abandoned, and rejected. We need time to heal and that is perfectly okay.

Related posts –

Power lies in your vulnerability

I know, I know you probably think you don’t feel very powerful when you are vulnerable. I totally get that but hear me out.

There can be an amazing power in vulnerability. There is strength in admitting we need help. There is courage in reaching out to people.

To be completely honest, this post was originally inspired by a feeling of powerlessness on my part. I’ve had to give myself an emotional kick lately and remind myself that I am not powerless.

Granted some of my options aren’t as appealing as I would like, but I am not powerless.

Power lies in your attitude

Often it’s not our circumstances or what’s happening in our lives that we have the power to change – it’s our attitude.

Changing the way we view and perceive a particular event (particularly a challenge or setback) can turn things around. Our attitude can help us see the positive in a haze of negativity. Our attitude can dig us out of a hole of despair and hopelessness.

Our attitude can lead us to opportunities and possibilities instead of us thinking we have no options.

Never underestimate the power of creativity and a positive (I can bloody well do this) attitude!

Power resides in love and compassion

Our biggest power of all lies in how love and compassion can transform a life.

This one can be so simple yet many of us underestimate it because we think it has to be something big, bold, and amazing.

Love and compassion can mean something as simple as listening to someone. It could mean giving them a hug and telling them things will be okay. It could be sharing a joke or a smile. It could mean acknowledging their struggle or their success.

There is a magnificent power in kindness.

It could mean putting down the mobile phone, tablet, or laptop and spending quality time with someone. One of the greatest things you can give someone is your time.

Ultimately you have more power than you think. Don’t underestimate yourself. Work out where your power lies.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends via social media. They just might need to feel more powerful today!