Happy New Year!

Every January, I choose a theme or a word to pay attention to in the coming months. Last year, given the impact of the pandemic, I focused on Connection. In 2022, I want to take a deeper dive into the concept of Power.

Why power? Because there are simply too many things happening in the world right now that feel beyond our control. This can lead to a roller coaster of emotions of heightened anxiety, defensiveness and numbness associated with the fight-flight-freeze response. Feeling disempowered can have a significant impact on our well-being and the health of our relationships.

Power is not a neutral word. It can bring up both strong negative and positive associations. I am curious about how our personal, collective and intergenerational experiences with power colour our perceptions of ourselves and others.

I want to better understand what it truly means to empower. To find that sweet spot of influence over our circumstances that lies somewhere in the middle ground of the continuum between absolute power over and utter helplessness.

In its positive aspect, power is a vital force for action and change. I want to explore the embodied nature of power. To know where we get it from and how it flows through us. I want to be able to recognize healthy, dynamic power, while noticing the the ways in which its energy can become blocked, twisted or diverted.

What does the word power bring up for you? How does it show up in your relationships?