I wish I had a time machine. I’d love a time machine so that I can go back and see some of my favorite bands play in their prime.
For a kid who grew up in the 80s, I liked very little music from my youth. And by very little, I mean like next to none.
You can blame my dad for that. Being the son of a musician, music critic, and music connoisseur has its perks.
One my favorite bands to this day is Tower of Power. For almost fifty years, they’ve been the gold standard of horn-driven soul and funk music. With a driving rhythm section, dynamic vocals, and the best horn section ever assembled, they’re a modern-day big band.
I’m sorry, gotta give them a proper introduction.
“From Oakland, California…the East Bay kings of soul, Tower of Power!”
While they’ve never been hugely popular with the masses, they have found their niche among appreciators of quality music. And even close to fifty years since their founding, they still sell out concerts around the world.
Perhaps I should mention, this article isn’t about music. But it is about tower of power…as a concept.
Most of my life I haven’t believed in my own power. I didn’t believe that I actually had any personal power. And that what power I had was fleeting.
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Personal power has always seen a tricky subject for me. Most of my life I haven’t believed in my own power. I didn’t believe that I actually had any personal power. And that what power I had was fleeting.
But I had an epiphany at my latest coach training weekend. While I can’t talk specifics of this program, I can certainly talk about the after effect.
I had dinner on Saturday night with a few of my teammates. It was a lovely time and I felt appreciated. But while I’m sitting there having really awesome conversations with these women, I realized something pretty powerful.
My input to the conversation was valuable. My voice was heard. And I owned who I was being in this conversation.
As the weekend went along, I was presented several more times with opportunities where I could own who I was being. I was no longer sitting on the bench, I was actually in the game.
What is personal power?
As I’m having this conversation with these women at dinner, it hit me just how powerful I was. I mean, think about it:
- I published my book, fulfilling a thirty-plus-year long dream come true.
- Not only am I working as a life coach, but I’m a participant in the top coach training program of its kind.
- I’m soon to be moving to my dream city.
- And I’m actually – on occasion – happy.
Nobody did any of that for me. I made it happen.
That is my definition of power. When you see something you want for your life, you make it happen.
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That is my definition of power. When you see something you want for your life, you make it happen.
As a younger man, I always saw things like happiness and power as pipe dreams. They were things that other people had, but not me.
Did I have the great job?
Did I have the great girlfriend?
Did I have money in the bank?
The job – that was source of misery. The girlfriend – only in my dreams. Money – {insert laughing emoji here}.
But real power and happiness isn’t tied into any of those things. Real power is about who you’re being in life. And while I don’t have those material things yet, I know that I have the power to create whatever I want in life.
Getting back to my dinner conversation, it hit me at that moment just where I was in my relationship to power. I was a tower of power.
It comes and goes, this is for certain. But I know where my tower of power is when I need it.
I’ve got a few questions I want to ask.
- Do you want to move forward in something?
- Is there something in the way of moving forward in that thing?
- Do you know how to move those things out of the way so that you can move forward?
If you’re honest, you answered yes to all three of those questions. As a coach, this is where I come in. This is where I can support you.
You can find me at team-ryan.team. You can follow me on twitter at twitter.com/ryanhallwrites. Or you can shoot me an email at [email protected].
Reach out to me. Let’s create a life that you can be proud of. Let’s find your tower of power!
Side note: Back to Oakland (1974) is by far Tower of Power’s best album. If you like classic soul music, you must check it out. Long live the Oakland Stroke.
Photo by gckwolfe