The Power

There have been a lot of thunderstorms lately. And with the storms there are often power outages. Unfortunately, these can last several days.

The power is a reflection of our utter vulnerability. In an instant, we can be plunged into darkness. With a gust of wind or a fallen tree, we can go from air conditioning and refrigeration to hot nights, cold showers, warm milk, and spoiling meat. Finding ice is a priority. Keeping the essentials chilled becomes a science.

Our focus completely shifts in a moment.

This is the life we lead. We are at the whim of forces so much greater than ourselves, and yet we live, most of the time, as if we are in control.

At work, the power can be a new competitor, or a merger, or a new boss. The power can take a wild success and turn it into a failure, or the opposite. Some win, and some lose, and while the winners are sometimes more talented, they are sometimes just lucky.

Accepting this can be difficult. It can be helpful, though, to see the essential part of us that cannot be damaged or hurt. It is beyond winning or losing, success or failure. It simply is.

Even to notice that for a few moments each day can be the beginning of big changes in the way we view the world.

Jeff