Power Moves summary

Imagine you're standing in a vast parking lot, each space reserved for an area of your life – one spot for leadership, another for friendship, another for finances, and so on. As you watch, vehicles begin filling the spaces. Every time you move between the various responsibilities and roles of your life, you step into a different vehicle. Some run smoothly and on a full tank. Others sputter and stall, losing gas.

Power is rarely distributed evenly across all areas of our lives. The fact that one vehicle is running on fumes doesn't necessarily mean the others are, too. But simply avoiding those power-depleted roles won't solve your problems. To fully reclaim your power, you must first identify exactly where it’s leaking away.

The only power source capable of adequately refueling all of your life's vehicles flows from within – from your spirit. That's why fulfilling your core obligations to yourself is key: nourishment, exercise, prayer, and rest. Why, when our schedules are overstuffed, are these personal needs so often the first to be ignored? It's because we've embraced a mentality where we're happier to disappoint ourselves than anyone else. But how will others ever properly advocate for your needs if you don't advocate for them yourself?

You can eliminate power leaks by breaking up with the relationships and dynamics that drain you. A bond that holds only when you’re in a constant state of overexertion isn't a functional relationship; it's a hostage situation. Whenever you choose to allow someone else to embrace a false conception of who you are, you deny your own authenticity. This can become even trickier when others praise and admire you for the inauthentic version you pretend to be.

Ultimately, the only way you can lose your power is by not believing you possessed it in the first place. Think of Adam and Eve – God explicitly told them they had dominion over the world, but they didn't believe it. Instead, they listened to the serpent's deception. The crazy thing is, they actually had full authority over that very serpent who robbed them of their power. They just didn't believe they could wield it.

Forget about the big picture for a moment and consider all the small, insidious ways you relinquish your power daily. Pay attention to all the things you don't try because a voice in your head whispered, "I could never do that." Notice all the callings and desires you've disqualified yourself from pursuing with a self-diminishing "I can't." When your self-imposed restrictions hold more sway than your genuine desires, you’re in trouble. Here's the truth: your heartfelt wants are aligned with what God's wants for you. If He didn't desire something for you, He would remove that longing from your soul. So if that want still speaks to you, know that it’s God's voice calling you toward your highest purpose.