Would you like to have the power to change the world? You probably know how things ought to be. Whether we’re talking community, country, or the whole planet, things would be better if they were different. Different how? The way we want, of course.
It strikes me that the concept of changing the world is particularly attractive when we are young. It’s so easy to see all the things that are wrong, and hey, it can’t be that hard to fix them, right? Change the world! It’s been a popular sentiment, especially during the 60s.
Dr. Glasser has referred to the need for power as a basic human need. This power need isn’t an evil need, or a selfish need; it’s just a need, part of our makeup. We can choose many ways to satisfy it. What we choose will make a big difference for us and for people around us.
For example, one person may believe that to satisfy their power need, they must literally change the world. They may decide that they will only be satisfied when they are famous, with millions of social media followers. To achieve that level of satisfaction is not entirely impossible. However, it will require significant work and focus.
But the satisfaction of our power need doesn’t have to be so elaborate. We get to decide, “What is satisfying for me?”
What if you could satisfy your need for power in a way that would bring a genuine benefit to the world? Here’s a possibility, based on the idea that it only takes one to make a difference. That is, it only takes one friend in a person’s life to make a difference. It only takes one good job, one home, one spouse, one child, one pet, and our entire outlook can change for the better.
My suggestion is to take a look at your life for instances where one person has made a significant difference. I’m not talking about grand heroics, where someone rescued you from a burning building or saved you from a scary accident. Though obviously, those would be significant events!
Rather, I’m talking about cases where a person has come through for you when you needed it. Perhaps they offered you a piece of timely advice, backed you up when you were having doubts, or offered encouragement when the future looked bleak. We can have a tendency to forget the good things that have happened for us; the favours that have been done, or the efforts extended on our behalf. This suggestion is to encourage us to remember that people are often very good, selfless, and helpful.
The second part of this suggestion is to take another look. This time we’re looking at our current situation. See if you can find opportunities where you can do one good thing for someone else. Again, this need not be a big thing; you’re just looking for the opportunity to do something positive.
There’s no need to try to turn yourself into someone you are not. We are each unique, with our own set of skills. Maybe your skill is making a great meal or making a computer work. Is there a person in your life for whom your skill could make a real difference?
When we look around with a specific focus, we often find it. If our focus is, “What is one helpful thing that I could do?” we may be amazed at what we find. This may not change the whole world, but it could change one person’s world. And that is an outstanding way of satisfying our power need.
Is it worth taking a look?
