Defy Gravity . . . Follow the Call of Your Wild Soul
THE POWER AXIS
Your destiny is intrinsically related to your personality, your calling, and the shadow work that demands transformation. There is an aspect that is personal to you and then there is the aspect that contains the objective and mundane actions that all paths require. This is sometimes referred to as "old-fashioned work."
Think of your axes like this:
The Freedom axis is your steering wheel. Where do you want to go?
The Destiny axis is like your mystical navigation GPS. What is your Wild Soul calling you to? And what obstacles in your history need to be navigated around?
The Power axis is your engine. Practically speaking what do you have to do to build momentum and get results? What action must you take?
It feels good to move forward, and we can do that in numerous ways:
Deciding
Creating a plan or strategizing
Taking specific action
Prioritizing
Organizing
Building habits
Creating a system
Teaming up with others
Persevering
These actions move us forward toward our vision. Therefore, the Power axis represents effort that can be seen and measured. In proper balance, this axis signifies noble struggle married to noble goals. It is the "one step in front of another" axis.
When we’re too “woo woo,” this axis gets neglected; when we’re too materialistic, this axis is overused and people become workaholics.
Now, some people fall into the trap of believing that whatever they do must be big to count, and so they do nothing because the small action they presently feel capable of seems insignificant. Or, because they can’t see the whole path and exactly how they will be able to achieve their vision, they decide not to move until they know how to do everything and are therefore guaranteed success.
Don't become bound by this thinking. Anything that concretely moves you forward counts. it doesn’t matter how small it is—just get the ball rolling. Create some inertia to carry you forward. Put something in motion.
As you take those small steps, however, you need to be aware of the size of your commitment.
What do I mean by this?
Well, some people jump off a cliff, so to speak, and make too big a commitment when they’re just starting out—they overinvest or take a huge risk to show that they're all in. This is usually a recipe for disaster—and the crumbling of a dream—because once you fall hard, you may feel too humiliated or defeated to try again.
For this and other reasons, I’ve found that the steadiest path forward is one of following breadcrumbs, meaning that if you do what you can today, a path will open in front of you, and then a next step will be presented. Put another way, you wouldn't buy things you genuinely couldn’t afford or take risks that would endanger you, unless you had a clear knowing that even if it didn’t work out you would still be okay. But you don't need a clear knowing to simply take the next small step. Do what you can do by figuring it out or risking. In short, when you use your present resources to lead you in the direction of your goal—while keeping your eyes open for new opportunities—you can't help but move forward.
As we've discussed with the Freedom and Destiny axes, the Power axis also has a polar opposite. In contrast to thrust, effort, and forward motion is the force of Drag. Just how it sounds, this is the force in life that slows us down and holds us back. Ask yourself, "Where am I not as streamlined as I could be? Where do I work amidst clutter: physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual?
Because the less streamlined you are, the more thrust is required. The more drag you carry, the harder you must work. Drag comes in many forms, such as:
complexity
excess bureaucracy
disorganization
clutter in your thinking
anxiety or worry
debt of any kind
indecision
self-doubt that doesn’t generate new solutions
poor time management
non-constructive criticism
untimely criticism
distractions
complaining (this is a big one!)
The trick with Drag, just like with Weight, is to eliminate what you can and continue to whittle away the things that create extra work or distractions for you. However, unlike Weight, Drag does not involve an in-depth process of transformation. It is more about noticing what’s unnecessary and shedding it. This either helps us accelerate or allows us to relax more.
And though it may seem like it, Drag is not all bad either. Sometimes we need to slow down in life to land that new opportunity. Sometimes we need to be patient and wait for Divine timing to organize everything behind the scenes. Sometimes we’re simply moving too fast—missing details, lacking discernment, getting ahead of ourselves, or under a destructive illusion. Putting on the brakes can sometimes be the safest course of action. Often it opens our eyes to simpler, more elegant and ingenious solutions.
