Introduction
In a world where power dynamics shape our daily experiences, Sarah Jakes Roberts' book "Power Moves" offers a refreshing perspective on reclaiming personal power. This insightful work challenges readers to look beyond superficial sources of power and instead tap into their innate potential. Roberts guides us through a journey of self-discovery, addressing the various ways we may have been stripped of our power and providing practical strategies to regain it.
"Power Moves" isn't just another self-help book; it's a roadmap for those who feel powerless, anxious, or isolated. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt diminished by circumstances, relationships, or their own self-limiting beliefs. With a blend of spiritual wisdom and practical advice, Roberts encourages readers to face their fears, embrace their uniqueness, and step into their full power.
Identifying Power Drains
One of the first steps in reclaiming power is recognizing where it's being depleted. Roberts uses a vivid analogy of a parking lot to illustrate this concept. Imagine your life as a vast parking lot, with each space representing a different area of your life - leadership, friendship, finances, and so on. As you move through life, you step into different vehicles, some running smoothly while others sputter and stall.
This imagery helps us understand that power isn't always evenly distributed across all aspects of our lives. We might feel strong and capable in our career but drained and powerless in our personal relationships. The key is to identify these power-depleted areas rather than avoiding them.
Roberts emphasizes that the ultimate power source capable of refueling all areas of our life comes from within - our spirit. This is why it's crucial to fulfill our core obligations to ourselves: nourishment, exercise, prayer, and rest. Unfortunately, these personal needs are often the first to be neglected when our schedules become overwhelming.
The author points out a common pitfall: we're often more willing to disappoint ourselves than others. This self-sacrificing mentality can lead to a continuous cycle of power depletion. Roberts challenges readers to break this pattern by advocating for their own needs and setting healthy boundaries.
To eliminate power leaks, Roberts suggests breaking up with relationships and dynamics that drain us. She likens a bond that only holds when we're in a constant state of overexertion to a hostage situation. By allowing others to embrace a false conception of who we are, we deny our own authenticity.
The book delves into the root cause of power loss: not believing we possessed it in the first place. Roberts uses the biblical story of Adam and Eve to illustrate this point. Despite God explicitly telling them they had dominion over the world, they didn't believe it and fell for the serpent's deception. This story serves as a powerful reminder that we often have more authority than we realize - we just need to believe in it.
Roberts encourages readers to pay attention to the small, insidious ways we relinquish our power daily. These include the things we don't try because of self-doubt, the callings we disqualify ourselves from pursuing, and the self-imposed restrictions that hold more sway than our genuine desires. She asserts that our heartfelt wants are aligned with God's desires for us, urging readers to trust in their inner longings as a guide toward their highest purpose.
Updating Behavioral Systems
Roberts introduces another powerful analogy to help readers understand the concept of behavioral systems. She compares our current state to a broke college student subsisting on ramen noodles. Just as the student doesn't eat ramen out of preference but out of necessity, we often stick to behaviors and patterns that don't serve us simply because they're familiar.
The author challenges readers to envision their highest potential self and recognize the gap between that vision and their current reality. This gap, she explains, is often due to outdated behavioral systems - the equivalent of having nothing but ramen in our personal pantry when we're trying to create a gourmet meal.
Roberts delves into the origins of these behavioral systems, explaining that they're often rooted in trauma. Our comfort zone, she argues, is constructed to protect us from re-experiencing past hurts. While this may keep us safe, it also keeps us stagnant, preventing us from taking risks and growing.
The book encourages readers to consider the possibility that they're avoiding threats that may actually be harmless. The predictable outcomes engineered by our comfort zone, while safe, might not be feeding our souls. Roberts challenges us to update our systems from mere survival mode to power mode.
Different systems govern different spheres of our lives - work, family, romance, friendship. Together, they create our entire ecosystem. When one system is dysfunctional, all systems are impacted. Roberts acknowledges that we often resist changing our dysfunctional systems not because we believe they're serving us, but because we're worried an update will disrupt our families, careers, and social standing. However, she emphasizes that when we deprive ourselves of honesty, we deprive ourselves of freedom.
To identify dysfunctional systems, Roberts suggests working backward from outcomes. She encourages readers to reflect on times when they felt powerless, failed to take a risk, speak up, or share their truth. By identifying common patterns in these situations, we can pinpoint the behavioral systems that are holding us back from our greatness.
Returning to the ramen analogy, Roberts likens our systems to the ingredients we have to work with in life's kitchen. No matter how grandiose our dreams are, until we have behavioral systems in place to support those visions, they cannot manifest into reality. Having the wrong system is like trying to bake a soufflé with only ramen noodles in your pantry - you need better ingredients.
Embracing Faith to Move Forward
Roberts emphasizes the transformative power of faith in reclaiming our power. She acknowledges that life can sometimes leave us feeling stuck, powerless, and trapped in toxic cycles that sap our energy and diminish our sense of self-worth. However, she asserts that this isn't a permanent state - we have the ability to reboot our lives.
One of the most powerful ways to do this, according to Roberts, is by installing new beliefs that rewire our thought patterns and propel us toward growth and fulfillment. She encourages readers to embrace the understanding that they're unconditionally loved and supported by a higher power, regardless of their circumstances or achievements.
Roberts challenges readers to shift their perspective, seeing potential where they once saw chaos. She emphasizes that no matter how many times we stumble, the grace and love available to us are inexhaustible. Accepting this profound truth, she argues, is the first step toward breaking free from the internal systems that oppress and limit us.
The author introduces the concept of moving from self-sabotage to system sabotage. She likens accepting oppressive internal systems to partnering with the enemy of our destiny. Cultivating faith, she asserts, is the only way to break these chains and embrace our authentic desires.
For those new to this journey or starting over, Roberts suggests connecting with the divine through simple, open-hearted desire - not through demanding evidence or peppering the universe with requests. She encourages readers to genuinely want to know and understand the divine without conditions or expectations.
However, Roberts emphasizes that it's not enough to merely ask for divine presence; we must intentionally create time and space to seek it out. She recommends setting aside dedicated moments for prayer, meditation, or reading scripture. As we do this, she suggests, we'll begin to notice the signs and synchronicities the universe is sending us, revealing that even the kindness of a stranger on the street is a manifestation of the divine working through them.
Breaking out of our comfort zone is never easy, but Roberts assures readers that when we're connected to a higher power, it will act as our compass, guiding us toward a better place. She offers a simple exercise to help readers start this process: Choose a belief that affirms your faith and pushes you away from your comfort zone, such as "I believe faith is more powerful than fear," or "I believe dignity is more powerful than acceptance." Repeat this statement daily until you feel empowered to connect it to a decision.
As readers carry out decisions informed by these beliefs, Roberts encourages them to use prayer as a guide. She promises that as we do this, we'll be amazed at how our innate systems of thought and behavior rewire themselves to bring us into our power.
Finding Power in Rest
In the final section of her book, Roberts challenges contemporary notions of power. She points out that in our society, power is often tied to external factors such as wealth, influence, and status. We believe that when we feel powerful, we will be immune from feelings like doubt, insecurity, and anxiety.
Roberts urges readers to intentionally analyze their own conception of power. She warns that if we neglect to do this, we might end up attaching ourselves to an image of pseudo-power infused with arrogance and pride. If we only feel powerful when outperforming others, we'll never truly feel steady in our power.
True power, Roberts argues, is neither arrogant nor competitive. In fact, she suggests that sometimes true power expresses itself by saying, "I feel tired, overwhelmed, or confused." This perspective challenges readers to embrace vulnerability as a form of strength.
Roberts emphasizes that power is available in being present in the moment. She encourages readers to become mindful every time they switch roles - which happens hundreds of times a day. She reminds us that power moves, and in every different situation, we should ask ourselves: What does power look like in this context?
The author encourages readers to think about all the different hats they wear and to congratulate themselves for inhabiting so many different roles. She then suggests setting aside time to think about how power would look in each of these roles, taking into consideration the demands of life and the specific needs of everyone we connect with in these roles.
Roberts emphasizes that our power springs from us, so it should be adapted to our wants and needs. She warns against imitating someone else's template for power, asserting that we'll never become truly powerful this way.
One of the most radical ideas Roberts presents is that being powerful isn't about doing everything for everyone without complaint until we reach breaking point. Instead, she argues that true power lies in having the confidence to ask the world to adjust to our truth. And some days, that truth will be: "I need rest and support."
To illustrate this point, Roberts turns to a spiritual example. She points out that God Himself teaches us the value of rest. On the seventh day of creation, He rested. Roberts asks readers to consider: Did God stop being the most powerful entity in the universe while He rested? Of course not. He understood that resting consolidated his power.
Roberts encourages readers to recognize and respect the other forces in their lives, whether they are good or bad. These forces work outside us and within us. Sometimes, she argues, in order to preserve our power and peace, we need to sit down and let those other forces win a round.
But how do we know when to push through and when to surrender? Roberts suggests turning to God for guidance. She advises asking God when to fight and when to rest, but cautions against asking when we've already got our battle armor on. Instead, she encourages asking from a space of calm neutrality.
Roberts concludes with a powerful piece of advice: When you don't know what decision to make, it's best to make no decision at all. Rest, she argues, is better than regret. She encourages readers to rest in the knowledge that God will take care of them.
Final Thoughts
"Power Moves" by Sarah Jakes Roberts offers a comprehensive guide to reclaiming personal power. Through vivid analogies, spiritual insights, and practical exercises, Roberts challenges readers to identify areas of power depletion, update dysfunctional behavioral systems, embrace faith, and find power in rest.
The book's central message is that true power comes from within and is rooted in authenticity, balance, and a connection with the divine. Roberts encourages readers to move beyond societal expectations of power and instead embrace a more nuanced understanding that includes vulnerability, rest, and the ability to ask for support.
By following Roberts' guidance, readers can learn to consolidate their power, move through life with grace and wisdom, and tap into a profound sense of inner strength. "Power Moves" is not just about becoming more powerful; it's about becoming more authentically ourselves and living in alignment with our highest purpose.
In a world that often equates power with external achievements and relentless activity, Roberts' message is both refreshing and revolutionary. She reminds us that sometimes the most powerful move we can make is to rest, to say no, or to ask for help. By embracing these truths and implementing the strategies outlined in "Power Moves," readers can begin the journey of stepping into their full potential and living a life of true power and purpose.