Within us, we all have power: the power to think, speak, act, question, and more. We don’t, however, always recognize how powerful we are.
We all want power of some sort. You may not necessarily think of it as power, but we want a better life for ourselves and our loved ones. That might include getting an education, so we know more about how the world works. We might strive for a high-paying job so we can afford a house and other things. Or we find a partner and start a family.
All these are normal life activities, but they are also ways to increase how powerful we are. We use our knowledge, our money, and our connections to our benefit.
One of the key aspects of having power is being able to apply it when and where it will do the most good. And to do that, you have to recognize your own abilities, and to feel comfortable using them.
Think about experiences you have had, and in particular try to recall when you have felt the most in control of a situation.What was happening at that moment, and why did you feel powerful? Are there any sorts of common threads to making your voice heard, or getting your point across?
There are bound to be times when you feel powerless. However, that’s never true. There is always something you can do, some action you can take. In order to most effectively tap into your own strength, it helps to recognize it.
When have you felt the most powerful? Can you recreate that feeling, even if the circumstances are different?
Related questions: Who has power? How much power does an individual have? What can you control? How can we build confidence?
I am a public policy director for a housing justice nonprofit. My job is to advocate for a better balance of power between tenants and landlords; currently, renters have significantly less power than Minnesota landlords. I do this work by trying to influence state representatives, state senators, and the governor regarding my state’s laws. However, I also frequently engage at the federal level and, to a lesser extent, in various Minnesota cities. I exercise my influence by employing various skills and talents while building relationships with elected officials and their staff. I create change through direct lobbying (i.e., I try to influence elected officials) and grassroots lobbying (i.e., I train others to use their power to promote positive change). I love and feel powerful doing my work.
One of the core principles of grassroots organizing is giving people a sense of their own power. Consequently, part of my job includes training tenants to exercise their strengths as individuals and in groups. I feel most powerful when I see a renter or renters embrace and practice their power to promote positive change.
Do you use any means other than government to advocate for and assist these people?
My position is as a public policy director, so dealing with the government is my job. My organization does more, though. We have lawyers who provide free legal advice to tenants about their rights and responsibilities. We also have organizers who work with tenants in groups as they try to address wrongs by particularly troubling landlords.