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So much change in the world. The planet is experiencing decay. Old-school business organizations are becoming obsolete. Nations + economies are in decline. And the very nature of how we function as human beings is being reworked + rewired… Which brings me to power… …the traditional idea of power is all about externals: you get this type of power when you make enough cash and secure the right amount of fame and get the right houses and receive the big title. …Currently, our world celebrates this form of power. And the vast majority of people in our world still crave it. [I’ve never cared so little about it; been there, got the t-shirt, didn’t mean much].

The problem with external power is that it never brings enduring happiness. And it doesn’t really make us better people. And it rarely lifts the world. There’s another type of power I encourage you to play with and seriously think about: Inner Power. On his death, Mahatma Gandhi left behind merely his glasses, his sandals, a spinning wheel and his watch along with a few other simple possessions. But he had this kind of power in multiples. So he influenced the generations. Inner power. We all can access it–and if we want, refine it, stoke it, polish it and radiate it… This is the power of a strong character + an honest tongue + a creative mind + a wide open heart + a spirit that lives for a cause larger than itself. And the uber-cool thing is that when you train in the releasing of this type of power, you not only find an illustrious happiness (and real success) but who you become automatically unchains the same potential within everyone else who inhabits your social group. [You’ve gotta read Connected by Nicholas Christakis].

Remember Marianne Williamson’s quote in her awesome book A Return to Love?… “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world…and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” So inner power truly is available to each person walking the planet today. This is the only true power–and the one that delivers lasting happiness, profound fulfillment, boundless energy and a world free of hate/war/destruction/decline. So…how do you kindle the fire of inner power?

Summit #1: Thinking. It seems like a platitude but it’s truth too: your thinking creates your world. Starting to run the new belief that you’re not a victim and that within you this very moment lies a kingdom of pure power is a game-changer. How do you make this thinking your new default? Like most other skills you practice it–every day.

Summit #2: Intention. Your dominant thinking will then generate new intentions. These are your drives + desires + motivations. These are the internal fuels that give birth to big results down the road. The clearer your intentions, the more breathtaking their products become.

Summit #3: Volition. Your intentions give rise to your volition–your choices. Choices made from a place of owning and then standing in your inner power are so much more beautiful and inspirational for those around you to watch than those coming from a place of fear and weakness. Get your choices aligned with your authentic greatness and you’ll leave your small, scared you in the dust. Forever.

Summit #4: Responsibility. APR is the acronym I teach to my clients: Absolute Personal Responsibility. When you stop giving away your inner power by making excuses, blaming others and playing “poor me”, you take the power you gave your problems back…and become more powerful. So after making better choices in your behavior, you’ll find you begin to assume better responsibility over your life. This is when we really grow up. We experience a vast awakening…and fully understand that all that isn’t world-class in our world is not because of the world. It’s due to us.

Summit #5: Performance. With “a way of being” called personal responsibility set as our human operating software, we’re then amped for elite performance, no matter where you live and what you do. Whether you’re a teacher or a preacher or an astronaut or a baker, you rise to doing wow-level work. You’ll amaze those who witness you. You’ll get “scary good” at your craft. You’ll spill ridiculous amounts of value into your marketplace. You’ll also discover seemingly superhuman reserves of energy, ingenuity, bravery + compassion enter into your days.

Summit #6: Influence. The final result of climbing this vertical path? Simple: you brilliantly affect others. Your inner power becomes contagious. Their mirror neurons model your example. Their belief in their own gifts + talents + potential grows. Their hearts open too. And you truly leverage your life to raise the world. Written By My Guru Robin Sharma