The Nine Secrets of Power represent a way to systematically explore and embrace a more ordered, empowered way of living.
This is the fourth of a series on our month's theme of Illuminated Order.
February is moving onward. Can you feel the year's energies beginning to shift? We're moving out of the introspection of winter, and preparing for the light and warmth of spring. So far, we've explored adding Illuminated Order to your daily systems, your People Landscape, and your work environment. In this post, we'll capture parts of a further framework I designed for my clients, entitled The Nine Secrets of Power.
The quest for true power and order in our lives is not at all something society gives us a map for. It's supposed to happen by accident, or more often, through outdated models of hustle or capitulation. We're not taught power-supporting behaviors as skills -- individually, or as an interlocking matrix of powerful behaviors and choices. Yet the blueprint for profound strength and clarity is within these aspects, within the deliberate choices we make about how we live, eat, think, and relate.
As we delve into select secrets, I invite you to reflect on how these elements manifest in your life. Are they sources of strength or points of stagnation? How can the intentional curation of your surroundings, relationships, habits, and thoughts lead to a more empowered, ordered, and fulfilled life?
Through this exploration, we aim to uncover the essence of true power—power that is inherently yours, waiting to be claimed and celebrated.
Nourishing Resilience: The Integral Connection Between Food and Power
In the Nine Secrets, the first one is "Food: Fuel for Achievement". The underlying idea is how deeply food is a profound source of your ability to hold power.
I don't mean food as energy. I mean food as nourisher -- or disruptor. Modern food, whether processed or organic, whether meat or plant-based, has the potential to trigger so many types of inflammation and digestive disorders that can fly under the radar of actual "medical" conditions, yet, at the same time, daily and intensely disrupt your ability to function. I did considerable research in this area after learning that, after years of having undiagnosable whole-body edema and fatigue, as well as ongoing brain fog, it was caused by my grain-intolerance. I'm also highly intolerant to common ingredients such as starches, Xanthan gum, sugar, lectins (beans), and nuts. Eliminating these from my daily intake exponentially increased my vitality, as well as wiping away the brain fog and giving me the mental processing power to handle the high-pressure demands of completing my master's degree while also working a challenging tech job full time.
While a complete unpacking of food is beyond this post, the TLDR is to experiment with your own diet and eliminate those foods which disagree with you, no matter how "healthy" they are claimed to be. You and your body are unique and your digestion just as unique. You may be reactive to beans and lentils, as most people are without realizing it; you may require advanced quantities of healthy fats, much more than traditional dietary advice would recommend. Experiment, and don't let anyone other than your own intuition and energy tell you whether a food is right for you. You'll know right away as your energy rises.
Beyond the Mind's Maze: Navigating Amygdala Hijacks and Mental Endurance
Two further of the Nine Secrets are "Amygdala: Master Pattern", and "Mental Endurance: What is Hard, What is Easy?" We'll discuss the amygdala first. In the intricate tapestry of our minds, the amygdala stands guard, a sentinel poised at the crossroads of our emotions and reactions. Its primary role is deeply embedded in our evolutionary history, triggering the fight or flight response when danger is perceived. However, your personal amygdala "master pattern" was formed in family struggles that may now limit you even they no longer represent reality. The amygdala can overstep, leading to what is known as an "amygdala hijack" in which an emotional response overtakes rational thought, plunging us into a state of stress, anxiety, or fear over perceived threats. Understanding this helps you defuse and retrain your mind to no longer drop into that stress reaction.
Mental endurance is intricately tied to our perceptions of what constitutes 'hard' and 'easy' tasks, both of which are, at their core, mere mental constructs shaped by our experiences, beliefs, and attitudes. These beliefs influence our approach to the tasks we face or which to attempt. By actively redefining these constructs, challenging our predefined limits, and embracing a mindset that views obstacles as opportunities for growth, we expand our capacity for resilience. This shift in perception transforms the landscape of our professional and personal lives, expanding the tasks we can master easily as proactive engagement with our world, thereby unlocking deeper layers of potential and power within ourselves.
Consider the Nine Secrets we've explored so far as a collection of empowerment areas, as a series of things that, once you establish Illuminated Order, serve you well in crafting the stable foundation for your powerful life.
Key Learning Points
Interconnectedness of Life's Domains: Embrace the understanding that all areas of life—physical health, emotional well-being, professional achievements, and personal relationships—are deeply interconnected. Recognizing this interconnectedness allows for a more holistic approach to evaluating and managing your life.
The Foundation of Physical Well-being: Acknowledge the fundamental role that physical health, particularly nutrition, plays in your overall power and productivity. Food is not just fuel but a key element that can enhance or diminish your physical and mental capabilities.
Mastering Mental Patterns and Emotional Intelligence: Recognize the importance of understanding your mental models and emotional responses. By becoming aware of your amygdala's role in emotional hijacks and cultivating mental endurance, you can navigate life's ups and downs with greater ease.
Action Steps
Deliberately Choose Your Power Framework: Spend time identifying the attitudes that have caused you to put up with life-wasting aspects, "work sleepwalking", overworking without compensation, and other myths and bad behaviors around work.
Curate Your Food Choices: Let go of the idea of 'calories' (as a hardcore endurance athlete I can tell you calories aren't at all an avenue to health) and consider food as more of what reacts and doesn't react with your individual body needs. By understanding food reactions, intolerances, and inflammations, you can significantly improve your energy levels, focus, and resilience, establishing a strong physical foundation for tackling life's challenges.
Rewire Your Ideas of Hard and Easy: Redefine what you perceive as hard and easy. Confront and reshape limiting beliefs, realizing that it is you who defines whether any particular act is possible with the right resources and training. Through this mastery, you unlock the ability to lead a more intentional and controlled life, where decisions are made from a place of clarity and purpose.
Hold the Secrets of Power. Begin to work from within a vision of how each facet of your life contributes to your overall sense of power and fulfillment. Set the stage for a life where every element works in harmony to support your greatest aspirations.
Embrace this journey with an open heart and a curious mind, and watch as the tapestry of your life unfolds into a more vibrant and meaningful existence.
How will you explore these Secrets as you #reclaimyourwildness and #healworklife?
See you in the next post.
Be well,
Katherine
