Thursday, December 8, 2022
The power-hungry are delusional. No-one gets to play God, and history has proven that repeatedly. But why do people keep trying? The truth is that we are powerless as individuals. The power-hungry have the same kind of vulnerabilities that we all do, except that they believe they are immune, and they have some kind of control over the larger environment. Come on, really? Humans have influence, but ultimate control belongs to no one. A legacy maker spreads this good news.
If you want real power, one that makes a huge and lasting impact, you have to be a legacy maker. The Buddha, Jesus, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, are a few examples. Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, and Saddam Hussein used fear to amplify their message, and while it was “heard,” it’s influence lived only as long as they did. The message of a legacy maker lives forever – that’s because it’s a higher truth. A legacy maker’s influence points humanity to an understanding of humility. Humanity is “soft,” powerless against the forces of nature, most especially human nature.
Even Vladimir Putin has a soft spot, an undeniable human vulnerability, like you and me. If anyone wanted to hit him “where it hurts,” they’d go for his loved ones; his health; his safety, etc. Against the forces of the universe, we are all weak. The power-hungry believe in individualism that is spurred by fear. A legacy-maker sees the power in the collective acknowledgement that no-one is in control. That low-lying truth is a kind of humble surrender to something greater. Do you see the difference? Our common bond is our lack of supreme dominion. The power-hungry believe in fearful control, and that enemies “threaten” that so-called control. But it is simply not real. The question is, what kind of power do you believe in?