the keys to power 1

"power is the ultimate aphrodisiac," or so henry kissinger said.

but what is power. power is easy to recognize when we see it. a man snaps his finger, people run to serve him. he utters a word, and things get done. big things. he commands, other people do. that's power. right?

wrong. what you don't see is him signing their paycheck, or at least the paycheck he signs of the guy he pays to sign everyone elses' paychecks.

power is not about controlling others. it's not about power over others because when all is said and done, we honestly have very little power over others, even the guy who issues orders. no one will do anything for you for nothing. but we do have lots of power over ourselves. because we will work for ourselves for nothing. we tie our own shoelaces. we wipe our own asses. we walk ourselves to work if our car won't start and we're late for the bus. all for free.

see, there is only one kind of power and that is the power to get things done. and it doesn't matter if you do it yourself, command one or two others, or an entire army; if you don't get things done, you have no power.

but if you can get things done, all by yourself, you have more power than all the ceos and dictators in the world.

the first key to power is power over oneself. more keys to come.