Reading business books during the summer can be stressful. As one of my associates put it, they can make you feel as though you have not done enough—which is the last feeling you want to bring into your holiday.
David R. Hawkins’s Power vs. Force did not feel like another list of things left undone. Quite the opposite: it widened my thinking and encouraged me to rest and let my mind wander after a few chapters. Hawkins also claims that reading the book can develop your consciousness more than it develops, on average, over an entire lifetime. Whether or not one takes that claim literally, I felt more peaceful and gained clarity about why people—and sometimes whole societies—behave as they do.
What is the difference between power and force?
My shorthand is this: power means standing firmly in your own strength, while force means trying to make things happen. I have been practising noticing when I am forcing an outcome and when I feel energised, supported, and in flow. The difference is immense.
For example, I tend to avoid tasks that I consider difficult, and getting started with writing is especially hard for me. When I force myself to begin, I feel depleted, and the result rarely satisfies me. Now I take a short walk, let my mind wander, and gently bring my attention back to the topic. If I return feeling more energised, I start writing; if not, I give myself a little more time.
What else did I learn from the book?
One idea I took from the book is that people understand the world through their current level of consciousness. In Hawkins’s framework, someone who lives mainly in fear may experience moments of clarity or love without yet being able to sustain them as a lasting state of mind.
Spending time with people whose level of awareness is higher than yours can be both inspiring and illuminating: it offers a glimpse of what life might feel like as your own awareness grows. In Hawkins’s model, for example, allowing yourself to grieve can help you move out of apathy and towards a more energised state.
Hawkins also argues that collective consciousness is influenced by community leaders and their decisions. As an example, he claims that the Vietnam War lowered the collective energy level of the United States. The book’s latest edition appeared in 2012, the year Hawkins died, so it does not address the events shaping our world today.
Last but not least,
our bodies may recognise a truth that our minds are not yet ready to accept. I have seen evidence of this throughout my coaching career. When a client’s body language seems at odds with what they are saying, I ask what their body is telling them. Often, the truth emerges: they have been talking themselves into something even though their gut instinct is telling them it is not right for them. That is the lasting question the book left me with: am I forcing an answer, or am I creating enough space to notice what I already know?
Coaching for you?
If you are intrigued and would like to know for yourself how much of your time are you living in your power and when are you forcing, I can recommend coaching – great place to work with a partner and become more aware of your habits. And when you are aware, you can make changes. If this is for you, click on the next line below.
Learn more by getting in touch and getting a free consultation.
