You can’t always predict when it’s coming or how long it will last, sometimes just before it happens there is a flicker. It is like you blinked a little longer than usual and before you know it, the power is out. And you are left wondering what happened and what to do next. You can no longer rely on your vices, you feel disconnected and you have to fend for yourself.
A few weeks ago, I felt myself recognizing a similar feeling to this in some of my work relationships. Essentially power is invisible, but we use it for everything. The way we communicate, the way we get things done, the way we connect to one another. I am not saying that wanting power or even possessing power is a bad thing, but it does have to be wielded carefully or you can get burned. I tend to work in collaboration, I like the energy that is created when there are many brains working toward the same goal, it is powerful. Collaboration works best when there isn’t a fight for power, but a mutual respect of when individuals require power based on their strengths. There needs to be an even flow of power that can be transferred, shared and distributed in multiple ways, but when one individual wants to dominate the power all the time, the surge just cannot be handled by the other pieces and that’s when an outage occurs.
Flicker The warning sign that is subtle enough that you may not notice it until it has happened. I am working on catching the subtle flicker and hitting the save button before I have lost too much work. I need to take account of those pauses.
Surge The ramp up of power that ultimately results in the outage. I am working on developing a meter to monitor the push and pull of energy to put the proper surge protector in place. I need to install the markers.
Outage The moment when it is out of your hands. I am working on appreciating what it feels like, the calm and silence of the outage and the loss of control. I need to give way to the outage and know that I will find my way back.
Finding the Breaker The point when you have figured out the way back. I am working on mending relationships and coming to terms with what might have been lost in the outage. I need to use what power I have left.
Flipping the Switch The time to take a little control of my own. I am working on knowing when is the best time to get started again. I need to remember that things may look different when the lights come on again.
Light The place to survey the damage. I am working on observing the process of what has happened, the feelings and emotions that were kicked up and how I might proceed. I need to know that just because the power is on, things might have shifted during the outage.
How do you foresee the outage? How do you compensate for a loss of power? Once the power is out, can you get it back?
Inspire Yourself!
Jenn
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