Perceived Power

I visited the Utah State Capitol the other day after running some errands in Salt Lake.  As with most state capitol buildings it's a large and impressive structure.  It's made of granite and reaches with it's dome far into the Salt Lake sky.  Standing next to the building I got a sense of awe at the majestic nature of the building.  Walking around I began thinking about the many different events that happen in that building.  Laws are made and legislation discussed and debated, politicians decide the fate of the State of Utah and the people that live here.  I got to thinking about the amount of power that can be felt radiating from within this building.  Watching people walking in and out of the building I began to think about the idea of power.  Not power in the sense of electricity but power in the sense of controlling and managing.  We will often talk about people in a "position of power" which usually indicates someone we see as having some power and control over us; managers, judges, politicians, parents, etc.  This idea of power is a funny thing, however.  As I continued to walk and ponder upon things I began to realize that in order for this type of power to exist there has to be at least 2 players involved.  Both of these players are voluntarily involved in the set up though they may not always believe it.  The first player is the person or entity that is believed to possess the power.  This is the one with the control, the one who makes the decisions, the one that says what is right and wrong.  The other person or entity is the one that believes and supports the first person in their belief.  This is the one that follows the directions, gives up control and allows the other to choose for them.  As I thought about this dynamic in my own life, I began to discover that all too often I find myself taking on the role of the second entity.  I give others the power over me to control me and dictate what I should and shouldn't do, how I should feel, what I should like and dislike.  Some would say that the people in power are the ones that keep the rest of us from becoming powerful.  Yet this is one of the greatest lies that can be told.  I am the one that is in control of my own decisions and, as I posted in an earlier blog, I always have a choice even though I may not like the choices I have.  There is only one who truly maintains power over me and that is me.  When you have 2 entities involved with one another, the only way that this perceived power can come into being happens only when one entity CHOOSES to give up their power and control to the other.  Of course with every choice we make there are consequences whether good or bad.   I have the power and control to accept these and deal with them in a way I decide or I can always forfeit my power to someone else and let them dictate my path.  I know that I have a long way to go in maintaining my own power and not letting these distorted perceptions of power influence me so much.  I know that with good people in my life to remind me of these truths on a regular basis I can continue to make progress.  After all, just as the majestic building which appears to have so much power housed inside it is just a facade, so is the power and control others have over me.