The Illusion of Power “Outside”

The quest for success, happiness, recognition, financial abundance, career goals and all the other attempts at personal achievement have a common factor that we tend to ignore for a large part of our lives. That factor is the conviction that there is some power beyond our present reach that, once we have that power, will complete us in some way. It will fill an empty space inside us, or provide us with positive feelings that we were previously lacking. Whenever you have a headache and you take a pill to relieve it, you are thinking that there is a power in that pill to heal you; a power you do not possess within you. When you set a goal, such as reaching the top of a challenging mountain, you might believe that such an achievement will give you a greater sense of self-value, which in turn will increase your confidence, personal power, and perhaps even your social worth.
I overheard the daughter of a friend of mine telling her father how desperately she wanted to be noticed in school as a very special person. She set her sights on having top marks in all subjects as a way to attract that special attention. When her father told her that this would never satisfy her, and that the only thing that mattered was her knowing her importance inside herself, the words of wisdom were politely received and immediately forgotten. She was convinced that her teachers and fellow students held a power that they could bestow upon her, at which point she would be happy, possibly for the rest of her life. Actually, she had gained that special recognition on many occasions when she was the center of attention, being praised for some accomplishment or personal attribute, but she seemed to dismiss these as insufficient. In her mind, it just wasn’t enough, and besides, it didn’t last.
That is what we all crave – a fulfilling experience that will last forever. We grew up believing that something, or a combination of things, would have to occur in the world around us in order for that magical experience to appear. No matter how we conceived this idea, it always depended on the outside world and/or its inhabitants to provide the appropriate influences. This is what I mean by the term, “Power Outside”
In Truth, there is no power outside or beyond you, because there is nothing beyond YOU. YOU are the power and the presence of infinite love, wisdom, creativity, beauty and every other quality you can imagine, plus many more that you can’t imagine. As you awaken to that Truth, you begin to confront all your beliefs about these so-called sources of power, and you quickly become amazed at the perfection of the human experience. Here you are, the Infinite Power in the universe and beyond, wandering through this world looking for a teacher, technique, formula or philosophy that will help you to become “a better person”. You are attracted to words like destiny, vision, enlightenment, abundance, love, healing, knowledge, etc and you attempt to have the experience that these words point to. And YOU are the creator of all those experiences! YOU even created the words! One cannot help but smile in wonder and awe at the irony. YOU are the one you have been seeking; the one you have been waiting for. Not you, the self-concept, but YOU the infinite power and presence. Once you realise the Truth of that you begin to confront your old beliefs about what power is and where one can find it. You may still grab an aspirin when you have a headache, depend on your paycheque to cover your bills, or look to your partner for affection, but as time goes on you will see that the true purpose of these creations is to reflect your state of consciousness, not to provide you with anything real. And as you remember who you are, you will reclaim your true power from these illusions that you saw as real sources of healing, happiness, peace, etc.
One of our greatest illusionary sources of power is in what we call “authority”. Teachers, leaders, heroes, guides, saviours and masters are often seen as special beings that possess greater power and knowledge than we do. In some of these cases we believe that with time and effort we may be able to achieve the same level that some of these special people are at, but the influence of glamour constantly mesmerises us into believing that the true master or leader will always be ahead of us. When you remember who YOU are, you begin to see that the greatest master is one of YOUR own creations.
There is no power outside of YOU. Everything you see is an illusion that was created by YOU to reflect your state of consciousness. In Truth you are the power and presence of infinite consciousness. You are the power!