Here’s a cool thought:

The thing that makes you different from everyone else is the thing that makes you powerful.

Amazing how true this is and how often we forget it. In our need to be accepted by others, we moderate our true personality and try to morph into something that perhaps we’re not. I can literally feel myself “changing” at times as I interact with people, as if I’m acting out a role instead of just doing what comes naturally. In certain cases, this is wise — for instance, if I’m working on a project with someone else, and I’m more skilled at a certain task than they are, I may “slow down” what I’m doing so that the other person can learn from my actions. I don’t want to be intimidating, and I appreciate similar reciprocation from others when I’m a newbie.

But in the long run, we may be limiting ourselves by our own fearful perceptions. Any time you start thinking thoughts like this:

“I shouldn’t try doing that, people will think I’m crazy.”

or

“I should refrain from getting involved with that…people might think I do too many other things already.”

or

“I should spend less time and effort trying to be excellent, since nobody else cares or they think I’m arrogant.”

then you know for sure you are on the wrong track. That isn’t powerful thinking, that’s weak thinking.

Some might argue that, from a Christian standpoint, we’re supposed to be gracious to others and moderate our own impulses. My answer to that is simple: weak does not equal meek! You know, Jesus may have been meek, but he certainly was not weak! He was powerful, because he was doing things differently than anybody else. Jesus was intimidating, shocking, and politically incorrect! Jesus did crazy, bizarre stuff that made lots of people angry which resulted in an instigation of violence against his person. After all, his worldview was so different from humanity’s that he was executed for his statements! Those don’t sound like the actions of a weak person, but of a powerful person.

I want my life to be a balance of meekness and power. I think it’s possible to have the best of both worlds! What do you think?