It is, perhaps, one of the greatest faults of Western society that we have all but convinced ourselves of the superiority of Force. We believe, at a collective level, that the path to what we want in life is painted in struggle, conflict, lack of flow and excessive “doing.”

The truth is: this belief is nothing more than the result of intense social conditioning.

Think about it. You are being bombarded with these messages implicitly and explicitly at every turn:

• Hustle harder.

• Do more than others.

• Sleep when you’re dead.

• Busy is a badge of honor.

• Be flawless in your execution.
• Push, push, and push some more.

Who decided that these ideas were right? Who decided that good ol’ Gary Vaynerchuk has unlocked the equation for happiness? Or that bootcamp instructors should be screaming at their clients? Who decided that “the hustle” was an acceptable way of life?

In my experience, these ideas create an impossible standard of what we believe we must do in order to succeed or make a real contribution to the world. Believing them is an equation for burnout. And an equation for failure on many fronts.

Because pushing all of the time wears us out. It exhausts us of all of our creative energy. It blocks us from being able to show up as we are meant to.

I would know…

Growing up, I was socially conditioned to believe that I had to prove my worthiness by “being the best.” I put my head down and studied, studied, and studied some more–constantly striving to achieve better and better results even though I hated what I was learning.

Honestly, I saw no other way. I lacked the perspective that I was on one path, not the path. So, I kept struggling through law school. And I forced myself into a legal job. And then… I spent the next 3 years feeling stressed, bored, lacking in motivation and then, ultimately, burnout.

Until eventually… I started listening to that subtlety below the surface. And my intuition, my physiology, my mental health–were all telling me what I wasn’t ready to hear before: “This is not right, Loren.”

The Distinction Between Power and Force

As David R. Hawkins writes in his acclaimed book on the topic: “the map of consciousness differentiates between the 2 sides of the same coin – action and inaction, the changing and changeless.”

Now bear with me. I know we are getting a deep thinking about the layers of consciousness here, but this is important.

Perhaps the best way to think about Power vs. Force is in terms of your grade school physics lessons.

If you remember, Force is anything that changes the momentum of an object through the transference of energy. It’s applying or exerting some energy to get certain results–with an external object, another person, even yourself.

Power, on the other hand, is something that already resides from within. It’s potential is always there. To tap into power, there’s no need to apply force because it’s omnipotent. Similar to gravity–it’s just there all the time, keeping your feet on the ground.

In the metaphysical sense, the difference is subtle–and it’s between the Push and Pull of life. Force requires doing something, taking some action to make changes in your external or internal world. While Power requires simply being, attracting, and pulling things in towards you.

As human beings in the world, we need both Force and Power to survive and thrive. The problem is, so many of us are still stuck in our default mode–just trying to survive. We rely too heavily on Force, and trust very little in our own Power.

Force is necessary for the fact that it can help change things. Without it, you might just stay in bed all day. But Force is only needed until you gain enough momentum, until you are moving in the right direction. Then you can (and should) scale back on how hard you’re pushing.

It’s like a reward from the Universe. You’ve pushed enough and proved yourself that you can now pull things towards you.

This is the point in which you’re slowly but steadily accessing your Power. You begin to see things differently. Your life begins to enhance. You attract that which you need and begin to build up. Life begins to optimize for you–self-organizing and assimilating–so that you can grow, expand and nourish.

Accessing and Harnessing Your Power

To this point, this may all sound a little too good to be true. How can we equate what exists in us to gravity? How can we find this second layer of consciousness that David R. Hawkins is speaking of? How can we access and harness this Power that exists in every one of us?

Here are some ideas:

• Pay attention to what’s going on in your body.

Do you have back pain? Are you struggling with digestion? Do your legs feel heavy? Do you get frequent migraines?

While some of these ailments may be a result of your physical choices, such as caffeine consumption, diet, or exercise habits, they are often the result of a deep sense of misalignment.

As Dr. Bessel van der Kolk writes: “the body keeps score.” It holds onto stress, pain, and trauma. And until we figure out the emotional root cause of the pain, it will never go away.

Your body often knows, before you do, what the right move is. Begin listening to it.

• Search for the leverage points.

Find the few things that you can do that will make a massive impact instead of trying do one hundred different things at once. Think of it as those incredible Martial Arts masters that are able to split a piece of thick plywood with one karate chop.

Instead of trying to do it all–start doing only what you are best at. What is it that you do that makes your team, business, or family fly? And how can you do more of that?

• Focus a great deal of your attention and energy into your Zone of Genius.
• Build a team of people that can help you (you cannot do it alone, my friend).
• Outsource anything and everything that you don’t need to be doing yourself (which is likely a great deal of it).
• Focus as Stephen Covey, author of the acclaimed 7 Habits of Highly Effective People calls “Sharpening The Saw”–the more you learn, the better you can become.
• Prioritize your health (something simple has a disproportionate return on productivity, happiness, etc.).
• Employ The Pareto Principle (also known as the 80/20 rule) to eliminate the unnecessary projects, processes, and tasks as possible–you know, the ones that are driving you nuts.

 

• Go down the path of least resistance.

No, I’m not telling you to sit on the couch and binge Netflix everyday. If you’re honest with yourself, that doesn’t feel non-resistant. It’s resistant of responsibility and passion.

I’m telling you to follow what feels right. And to stop walking down the paths that don’t feel right.

Don’t keep pushing because of some story you’re telling yourself. About what “needs” to be done. Or what’s practical.

To succeed takes hard work, certainly. But you don’t have to feel exhausted and defeated the whole time. Working hard can be fun. It can create rather than deplete your energy. This is the path of least resistance. This is Power.

• Listen to “The Pull.”

When there is something that you are drawn to, either an idea, person, place, or thing, follow that. When you have a vision for something, something that excites you: create it.

The Pull is a feeling of total alignment in your thinking, feeling, and body. It’s the subtle voice that comes to you in the middle of a meditation or a quiet moment in the shower. It’s part of the creative process.

In my experience, The Pull has been the most powerful tool I have had at my disposal that has changed my life and guided me on this adventure to Los Angeles. If you’re interested in learning more, read this post.

In listening to The Pull, your energy and vitality will be restored. Your worries will fall off. And… you will be closer to accessing your Power.

• Slow down to the speed of thought.

When we are moving all the time–exerting force in the world–there is no space for inspiration to hit. There is no room for creativity to transpire.

It is not our job to go out there into the world and enforce our Will.

It is our job to serve as clear channels to the Divine Energy that is trying to come through us. And to act upon the the inspiration that does hit us.

This is the essence of Power–of trust, stillness, confidence, and beauty.

Here are some ideas for how to slow down:

• Block out time and space in your life to be still and on your own.
• Practice meditation to start clearing out the incessant chatter of the mind.
• Start learning how to tap into your intuition and your higher self.
• Work through self-limiting beliefs and old patterns like worry, lack of self-worth, and low-confidence that get in the way of the “real” thoughts we should be having. Sign up for a free breakthrough session with me if you want some help in starting this process here.
• Start living on Purpose. It will help make everything else fall away. If this is a struggle, consider checking out my Purpose e-Course that will guide you into living a more purpose-full life 🙂

—

There is Power in letting life unfold and just observing. There is Power in sitting still, rather than moving all the time. There is Power in learning to communicate, rather than argue. There is Power in living according to your intuition, rather than social condition.

Continuing on the path of Force will grant you a life of the opposite of what you want – tearing down, breaking away, and destroying all in its path. It is unfortunate, but true, that some of us wait for some final moment of implosion to start living in our Power. This cataclysm burns down the old and creates manure for new-born life to sprout into existence. In the wake of whatever tragedy you face, you are free to move forward, to access your power and continue on.

But this is only one path to Power. The other is to choose it. To train yourself. To tap into the subtleties. To use Force to gain and create momentum, and then to Let Go, and Let The Universe.

I hope that you choose it, my friend. I know you will be less stressed and more fulfilled if you do.

Because remember: we are human beings, not human doings.

P.S. Whenever you’re ready …. here are 4 ways I can help you create a life you’re in LOVE with:

1. Take my Purpose eCourse

I have developed a series of Foundational eCourses that will give you the skills, knowledge and life tools that you need to begin designing a life, relationship, career or business that you are in love with. If you want to live your own definition of success, start here with proven tools, strategies and formulas.

Ready to begin your next chapter? If so, I’d love you to join me…– Click here

2. Grab a copy of my FREE Ultimate Decision Making Framework. My clients and I are obsessed with with this Framework.

I use The Ultimate Decision Making Framework to ensure my decisions are in alignment with my overall Purpose. I know you will love it as much as I do! – Click Here

3. Join the Purpose and Profit community and connect with visionary’s and business owners who are also driven to create a life they love

It’s my Facebook Group where driven individuals learn how to create a Purposeful and Profitable life. – Click Here

4. Work with me and my team privately

If you’d like to work with me 1:1 to unlock me to unlock your Purpose… just send me a message with the word “Purpose”… tell me a little about yourself and what you would like to work on together, and I’ll get you all the details! – Click here