January 01, 2018
Pride and Power
There is much talk about owning our power these days. From spiritual teachings we find our power lies in our authenticity and willingness to surrender our agendas to an intelligence beyond our own. There is also the will of ego, however, based on a need for personal gain and status. While spiritual power requires getting out of our own way, this kind of “power” is driven by pride, and lends itself toward abuse. When someone is spiritual, but has not done their personal work, sometimes the two are confused.
Pride, at its best, is a positive sense of self. We are proud that we are the first one in our family to graduate from college, for example. While good self esteem is essential, pride has an uncanny capacity for over indulgence and abuse. In fact it is considered one of the seven deadly sins. At its worst, pride seductively lures us in to defend our inadequacies, at any price. We may choose to lie, or fight dirty, for example, just to claim a victory. While we have won the argument, at what cost is this to our soul? Feeling dirty, we look for another win, and so it goes.
As the famous Taoist teacher Lao Tzu says, “whether you go up the ladder or down it, your position is shaky. Stand with your two feet on the ground.” Our main challenge is not to maintain our our position, but to anchor into our truth. Our integrity is our status, and it is our currency. It is up to us to maintain its value, and not trade it in to come out on top. Pride overrides vulnerability. Rooted in insecurities, it takes people off center, and makes them want to show the world what they are made of. Someone may feel shame, for example, so they try to shame you. They may feel impotent, so they try to intimidate you. As soon as you engage them to defend yourself, however, you, too, have stepped into pride, chosing to win over standing your ground.
Developing spiritual power is a journey of self discovery, where the more baggage and limited beliefs we lose, the more receptive to divine guidance we become. When we clear out the wounds and shame, we find ourselves no longer susceptible to the manipulations of others, nor are we driven by our own agendas. We learn to listen, and to trust both ourselves, and in the divine guidance of Spirit. It is a beautiful and magical path, pure in essence. Unfortunately, spiritual power can easily be confused with, and corrupted by, pride.
We may be highly intuitive, but if we are still wounded we may confuse the voices of the ego, for the voices of Spirit, if our status is at stake. Further, we may start to believe this power is a commodity that can be owned and contained, compelling us to lord it over others, and abuse our standing. Watch for attempts by anyone to belittle you with condescension, manipulation, and anger, or by provoking in you fear and shame. This is not power in any true sense, this is pride trying to gain the upper hand. Many a leader and institution uses these tactics to take from you your power. It is not that they are more powerful, however, it is that you have given your own power away to them, by stepping off your center, and believing them, over yourself.
Owning our power is knowing who we are and not colluding with the projected weaknesses, and agendas, of a wounded being. Don’t let someone tell you what is wrong with you! Do your homework. Learn to recognize what sends you into pride and when it is interfering. Then stand in your truth, hold your ground, and align with Spirit. This is owning your power!
Christina Allen, an Intuitive, Healer, Teacher and Founder and Director of the Austin Shamanic Center, combines strong science (BA Physics, MS Neuroscience) with decades of applied ancient spiritual wisdom (Master Yogi, Reiki Master, Shamanic Healer, based, in part, on Q’ero Indian traditions of Peru). Offering profound Shamanic Self Development Workshops and personal healings. Learn more at www.AustinShamanicCenter.com or (512) 391-9829.
© Austin All Natural, January 2018.