Strong is not the same as powerful.

A lot of my work (that is, my art) is helping people to identify and develop their Strengths* – patterns of skills and passions in their lives through which they experience energy.

Power wants to control these things in others for its own benefit; strength wants to make these things available to others so they can soar.  There’s a big difference between wanting to control the world and wanting to change the world.

Power plays within the limits of the game; to do otherwise is to risk diminishing or losing power – in this we can proffer power is about repeating the past.  Strength plays with the limits of the game because its focus is not on what has been but on what might be – the future.

Power has a fixed mindset, often struggling to adapt, a blunt instrument seeking to repeat past success with increasing force.  Strength has a growth mindset, not only knowing it must adapt, but through hard work, together with others, it can.  This is why strength often wows us but power does not.

You may not be powerful but you are already strong.

I cannot force you to play  this infinite game – it instantly ceases to be play for you – but I can invite and encourage you to bring your art.

‘If you needed permission, think about the mentor or coach
or friend who gave this to you.  Someone is giving you
permission: … hired you, funded you, trained you, encouraged
you – all so you could see something that needed to be done and do it.’

(*I call this dreamwhispering (mentoring, coaching, directing, positive listening and more), and since being helped by someone to identify my own Strengths, I’ve really enjoyed working with more than 300 people.  Just get in touch if you want to find out more.)