How you view it determines your inner power.
Many years ago when I was in the US Air Force as a medic I learned a lesson that ‘stuck’ to me. Working in the ICU one evening a general’s wife was brought into the unit. She had no reason to be there other than, in my opinion, to hide her. She was severely dehydrated, had sores all over her body and fecal matter impacted in her skin, and weighed 98 pounds.
She was an alcoholic. No judgment here. But her husband would make fun of her (she told us that while healing) and his poker buddies would throw things at her while she lay on the couch. Of course, at the ripe age of 20, I was indeed judgmental and thought why don’t you stand up to him. Yup, naïve as well.
Then I got mad. I went to our charge nurse, who was a full bird colonel, one step from becoming a general, and asked him to do something. His response was what??? The general outranked probable all but one person on the whole base. I was shocked. Disappointed but the way the General would parade around demanding to be waited on. He eventually took his wife home and life went on.
BUT it haunted me. During that episode, I learned ‘Rank has Privileged.’ Didn’t matter how powerful you thought you were, or are, there is always someone more powerful. If you have trauma in your life, as I do, I walked away with people with authority who can do whatever they want.
Until recently I had a lifelong battle with authority and power. An interesting combination when you consider I am a CEO. If someone talked aggressively (at least how I defined aggression) I would fold like a cheap suit.
I had to reconnect to that memory, recreate a new version with an empowered ending, and reclaim power as I chose to define it.
It continues to amaze me how an event in our lives will be carried for a lifetime. That if left unhealed, I would never have the confidence I have. The life I have. The Business I have.
When you seem stuck and have no idea why…look backward to propel yourself forward.
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