I have an uneasy relationship with power. Even though I worked in senior leadership in government and non-profit, where I managed people and influenced politicians, I still go into resistance mode when I feel like too much power has been handed to me or I’ve taken more than I “deserve”. I’ve found this to be especially true now that the influence I hold relies largely on my own ideas and wisdom and people expect me to have more power than I often consider myself to have. 

This resistance is deeply rooted in my lineage (a good Mennonite should never take on too much power), my gender (a girl isn’t allowed a lot of power and is shamed for trying to take too much), my family (poverty and insecurity and all of those other things), and my own personal trauma. Read more...