April 7, 2009This Week in the World ~ Big stories, myths, and accumulating power

Filed under: This Week in the World by merylrunion |

A bigger story: Rev. Evan Hodkins says depression is a signal that the story you’re telling yourself is too small. As a writer, I see a bigger story in everything. I just opened a bottle of juice that wouldn’t budge by putting on a rubber glove. I don’t know why it works, but it does. The bigger story for that is that often savvy is more powerful than pure force.

Bigger stories add depth to life, which is one of the reasons I love mythology. For example, the story of Psyche, who had to complete four tasks to be reunited with her husband, gives steps we all can use to face bigger challenges. Psyche had to sort seeds, (use discernment, separate the nonsense from truth.) She had to fill a cup with water from a treacherous stream, (seek nourishment, look for love in the right places.) She had to get Golden Fleece from Rams, (accumulate power without getting rammed in the process.) Once that was complete, she embarked on her journey. In her travels, she had to say “no” to ardent requests, (set focus, establish boundaries, and say no to distractions.)

Speaking Strong involves all four tasks. I’ll focus on the third – sources of power.

Gathering power: Psyche originally thought she had to confront the Rams to get the fleece. She discovered she could gather the fleece that had caught on the bushes and trees as the Rams slept at night. That approach allowed her to accomplish her goal without endangering herself.

When you have less overt power than others have, you can leverage the power you do have. For example, many assistants can get things done their bosses can’t, because they don’t rely on the power inherent in their titles. They gather power by currying favor, understanding how things really operate and making themselves indispensable. They do this without waking the sleeping Rams (emotional triggers dormant in our reptilian brains). That’s why a PowerPhrase is as strong as it needs to be, and no stronger. If those Rams are sleeping, don’t wake them up. Overt power can awaken the aggression in your listener.

Timing: The Rams in the myth also point to the importance of timing. When someone is in reaction – when his or her Rams are bandying about – the truly powerful may choose to wait. That can require a real strength of will. It can be tough to wait to speak until you’ve sorted the seeds, gained nourishment, and set your focus. Sometimes it takes more strength to wait to speak until the Rams are sleeping – both theirs and yours.

So if you’re tempted to go in with guns blazing this week, ask yourself if the situation really calls for that kind of power. Perhaps it does – but if it doesn’t, toughness might wake sleeping Rams and trigger a reaction. Savvy inspires a response. You might find yourself having conversations you didn’t know you could.

If the temptation to force a result seems overwhelming, consider the story you’re telling yourself. Perhaps the story you’re telling yourself is too small. Tell yourself a bigger story and get a more powerful result.

Last week’s blog posts

I got lots of comments on the blog last week about flaws in my advice – and suggestions for improvement. Visit the blog and tell me what you think.