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Words have power.
Take “Fuck” for example.
The dictonary definition of fuck is:
sleep together: have sexual intercourse with.
This literal definition means to have sex, so big deal. Most of us have sex, and we enjoy it at that.
It’s not that simple though. Fuck is a much more complex word. As we know, the word is used in many different ways, It’s an adjective, a verb and a noun. It’s used positively and negatively. In fact, “fuck” has become one of those all purpose words that can and does mean just about anything depending on the context it is used in.
So let’s break it down. It’s a collection of four letters.
“F” originates from the Semitic letter vâv that represented the /v/.
“U” is also Semetic in origin, from the letter Waw by way of the letter Y. It also shares a relationship with “F” via the Romans.
“C” comes from the same letter as “G”, and is again Semetic. The origin letter is gimel.
And “K“, from the Greek Kappa, and, surprise! Also Semetic as Kappa is derived from the Semetic kap.
Here we have four letters, all Semetic in origin, which really means nothing at all.
And that’s the point. This word, has no power.
In fact, things only have power if we give them power.
Does this idea bother you?
If it bothers you then you need to take a step back, because understanding the power structure is one of the keys to living the life that you want to live.
As an example, this is the desktop wallpaper I have on my laptop:
"Don't Fucking Procrastinate" from Good Fucking Design Advice
Last week I talked about how terrible I am at getting shit done, and after writing that post I was able to let go of this idea that I can’t get shit done and start actually getting shit done.
Shortly after that I realized one of my biggest problems is procrastination. It’s not that I can’t get shit done, it’s that I don’t.
And this wallpaper serves as a not so gentle reminder to me of that fact.
By the same token I have already changed my approach to bedroom activities with my wife, and though it’s only been a week, I think there has already been some incremental improvement.
Last week’s post was a major catharsis for me, and in letting go of these things I have freed myself to make the changes that I want to be.
This is power.
I’ve come out of the other side with the understanding that nothing in life has power over us unless we give it power.
The victim you know in your life, the one who always has something going wrong? They have surrendered their power.
We surrender power to our governments, we surrender power to our jobs, our bosses, our friends, our family, our spouses, everywhere in life we surrender power.
When we look at the power structure it seems overwhelming, and it becomes a very scary thing. It’s a terrible monolith of all that we have given up, and in many cases the return on investment sucks.
Giving up power is easy.
Taking that power back is not.
One of the most important things you can do to begin reclaiming power is to let go.
I may sound like a broken record, but if we just let the fuck go, things become much, much easier.
From what I’ve written before you may have gotten the idea that in letting go we become cave dwelling yogis eschewing all of life in favor of solitude and a diet of nettles.
You couldn’t be more wrong.
The arc of letting go lends itself to that idea when you approach it without an understanding of where we land after letting go.
That landing place is a place of power.
It is the place where we see that nothing has power over us, unless we give it power.
Here’s the thing, we sit back and give up our power, however every time we give up that piece of power, we are sacrificing something within ourselves.
For instance in sacrificing power to the government, we surrender earning power through taxes. We surrender freedom under the strictures of law, we surrender our rights in the name of freedom, and we surrender our freedom in the name of safety.
The government is easy to pick on because it is so universal, but there are other examples of surrendering power.
Such as the surrender of power a victim of abuse gives to the abuser in a relationship.
Such as the surrender of power to the idea that we must have a job to create income.
Such as the surrender of power to the idea that you can not do something.
For too long I accepted the power structre. Now I no longer accept that as the only option, and this opens up a realm of possibility to me.
It doesn’t mean the world falls into my lap like an oyster bearing a pearl. What it means is that the world is my oyster, and all I have to do is find that pearl.
Because it’s all out there for the taking, and here’s the thing, if you don’t take it, someone else will. This doesn’t mean we’re fighting a zero sum game, where I’m trying to amass power for myself at the expense of others. It’s just the opposite. If we see this and let go, we all have the opportunity to take. There is plenty out there for all of us, the distortions are in the acceptance of the status quo.
When we let go, it becomes a zillion sum game, where everyone wins.
And when you let go and land, you gain a deep seated understanding of this. I don’t mean the cognitive recognition of this idea that has you nodding your head to as you read this.
I mean the kind of understanding that is in your bones and blood, that beats through your heart and sets itself in at the cellular level, so that every breath, action and thought is in harmony, making you a being of will and power.
I mentioned last week that there will be changes around here. I have let go of the idea that I need to follow some formula for success in this blog, to write a certain way, to post certain things. I have taken back my power to express myself here, and with that power, here are some of the changes you will see:
A re-design/branding of this site. I’ll ultimately be moving things over to spyrosheniadis.com. Right now it’s just a clone of this site, but things are in the works.
My approach is opening up and letting go in my writing. This means the frequency and timing of the posts may change as I move forward
The podcast is going to grow and change as I explore ideas for sharing with you and telling stories through that medium
I’m going to be exploring my voice in photography. I’ve focused a lot of attention on my writing, and photography has always been a love of mine, and this is going to eventually wind it’s way into this space of expression that is me.
Now, let the fuck go, and reclaim your power by tweeting and liking this so everyone can see that you get the power structure, and you’re not gonna take it anymore. (bonus points to anyone who catches the reference here and leaves it in the comments, in fact I’ll throw in a 1/2 hour Skype call to anyone who gets it and leaves a comment.)
