PERSONAL POWER vs. EXTERNAL POWER
Our behaviour is influenced by whether we have an internal or external locus of control. Locus refers to the place where control lies, either within us or outside of us. You can either give yourself the power to effect your life, or let the outside world have all the power over your life.
Here's how embracing personal power or external power can impact our behaviour:
Personal Power:
- Has confidence in their ability to succeed at all costs.
- Often take on leadership roles.
- They believe that their actions influence their outcomes.
- Seek opportunities to learn and grow. They believe they can acquire new skills and knowledge through effort and practice, leading to continuous growth and improvement
- Take personal responsibility for their choices.
- Use challenges and stress as opportunities for personal growth.
- Thrive in times of change.
- Tend to question authority. They prefer making their own decisions rather than relying on external influences, which allows them to shape their lives according to their own values and goals.
External Power:
- Often feel like victims.
- Blame others, luck or circumstances instead of taking responsibility.
- Prefer to be led by others.
- Avoid taking on personal responsibility.
- Believe they have no control over their lives.
- Give up easily in the face of obstacles or challenges.
- Prone to experiencing stress, anxiety, and depression.
People with personal power are driven by the belief that they have control over their own fate, which motivates them to tackle challenges head-on. On the flip side, those with an external power mindset feel that their efforts are pointless, leading them to adopt a "why bother?" attitude.
Both sets of beliefs are self-fulfilling. Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right. In other words, people's beliefs define how they act. Those who believe that external forces control their fate avoid taking action and remain a slave to their circumstances. No different to a puppet on strings. Every movement and action they make is dictated by external forces. Those who believe in their own personal power aren’t restricted by any strings. They have control of their choices and take action to solve their problems to get what they want out of life.
Ultimately, where we place power shapes our behaviour and the results we experience in life. You can either empower yourself to be an outlaw or the outside world to make you a victim.
LEANING INTO PERSONAL POWER
Men are more likely to embrace their personal power than women. Throughout history men have always been the captains of their destiny. This sentiment seems to have been lost in today’s world. It’s no surprise to me that we have a masculinity crisis when men have handed control of their lives over to fear, traumas, luck, social validation and governments.
Everything today is not our fault but is the result of a disease, addiction, or chemical imbalance. I get it, it's an easy escape route from taking responsibility for our own lives. Being a man of duty is hard. But here's the good news: We can learn to shift our mindset from external to internal. While our upbringing and environment have influenced our perspective, we can change it. A person’s probability of actually taking action depends on 2 things.
- How much the person truly values and wants the particular result or outcome.
- How much the person believes that by doing the thing, they will achieve the result they want.
Let's keep it simple and relatable: When we doubt our own ability to solve our problem, we tend to blame others and adopt a victim mentality. Victims play the "if only" game a lot. These are the guys who claim that they would be the men they want to be....
“If only I had more time to exercise.”
“If only my girlfriend wasn’t stressing me out all the time.”
“If only my boss would stop being a dick.”
These guys put their happiness on hold as they wait for circumstances and people to change. But how often do people and situations change according to our wishes?
Here's the truth: People rarely change, and if we depend on their actions to determine our happiness, we're surrendering control of our lives to them. And no one should care about your life more than you do.
Resilient men grasp the fact that they can't control external circumstances, but they can control their own actions and reactions. They refuse to be dependent on others for their well-being.
Rather than waiting for someone else to solve their problems, resilient men use their lawless spirit to take charge and actively seek solutions. They understand that circumstances don't define their lives – THEY DO.
Practical Problem Solving
In life, there are 3 types of people: the book smart, the street smart and the slave smart. We often find ourselves admiring those who possess a balance of the first 2 qualities. The slave smart type tend to end up being life’s door mats. The truth is, being both book smart and street smart is an ideal combination that makes you a practical problem solver.
Practical problem solvers have a unique approach to adversity. They don't let their emotions get in the way when faced with a difficult situation. Instead of getting angry or thinking dumb questions like "Why me?" they channel their lawless energy into finding solutions.
Rather than fighting against the inevitable or resisting change, they embrace the new reality. The key idea here is to prioritise actions over empty words and passing emotions. Assess the situation, come up with a plan then take action. Follow through. If the plan isn't working out you can always course correct after. But to know what the best direction is to go in, you need to start moving. You might not always get it right the first time but you'll be eliminating the wrong paths and getting closer to the right one in the process.
Creative Problem Solving
Creative problem solvers have a remarkable ability to think outside the box and generate fresh ideas that haven't been tried before.
Why is creative problem-solving so crucial? Well, resilience often hinges on our capacity to handle change positively, and let's face it, the world is constantly evolving. Outlaws welcome new experiences and see them as opportunities to develop new skills, while victims have to be dragged kicking and screaming into unfamiliar territory.
Victims find their happiness in stability. They create a rigid routine and refuse to leave their comfort zone voluntarily. When confronted with a new reality (think pandemic times), their world crumbles. They desperately try to fit their old ways into a new situation, like trying to force a round peg into a square hole.
The truth is, they don't want to grasp the new reality. They’d rather close their eyes, ignore any new information presented to them, and refuse to change their perspective. "My health is fine." "My partner would never cheat on me." "The media wouldn’t lie to us." These individuals are always the last to know. They stubbornly reject the truth, and when faced with undeniable facts, they crumble under the weight of reality.
Look around at companies today. Some have embraced the implications of the evolving technological landscape for business, while others cling to outdated practices from 30 years ago. The latter group won't survive. You can choose to be like those who once believed that TV wouldn't harm radio, or you can be the person who leans into the new world order and harnesses their creativity to stay relevant. A.I. is ushering in a new world order and the people who fail to adapt will die. Well, they probably won’t die but they will become irrelevant.
So, how do you become a creative problem solver? Curiosity is the key. Creative individuals maintain the same sense of wonder they had as children. Remember those days of exploring woodlands, asking endless questions, and being a sponge to information?
Creative adults retain that childlike curiosity. They are interested in how things work and continuously absorb new information about the world. They read. They question. They wonder, "What's happening?" "How are things shifting?" "Why is this like this?" "How can this be better?"
Creative people keep an open mind and constantly soak up knowledge. They maintain their sponginess. They let information flow into their minds without immediately labelling or judging it as good or bad. They don't think in terms of "That's a stupid idea" or "Those people are crazy" or "That's not how things should be done" or "That culture is backward." It doesn't mean they lack opinions or beliefs; it simply means they seek understanding for the sake of knowledge itself. They file away every piece of information, believing that you never know when a fact might prove valuable and provide a breakthrough insight.
When you flood your mind with a variety of information and experiences, allowing them to swirl around inside your head, amazing things start to happen. Ideas appear out of nowhere, when you least expect it, like when you're taking a dump. Inspiration, ideas, and solutions can come from unexpected places but they need the right conditions to marinate. These breakthroughs won't happen if you're trapped in the same repetitive routine, starving your mind of novelty. If you only feed your mind garbage your ideas will be garbage.
Watch new original films, travel, listen to podcasts, read a wide range of books, visit exhibitions, spend time in nature, and meet new people. Actively engage with the world around you. You might be staring at a weird piece of art, and suddenly, the reason for your Haribo addiction becomes crystal clear.
Embrace your curiosity, feed your mind, and let creativity guide your problem-solving endeavours. The possibilities are endless, and you never know when that moment of authentic brilliance will arrive.
So, lean into your Personal Power, and you'll become the fearless leader, conquering challenges, and thriving in times of change. On the flip side, falling into the External Power mindset will trap you in victimhood, blaming others, and giving up at the first sign of trouble. The choice is yours.
If you choose the path of masculinity and take responsibility for your life, you won't need to wait for others to solve your problems.
You'll be the practical and creative problem solver you were born to be. With lawless energy and a sponge-like curiosity, you'll find solutions, embrace change, and thrive in this new world order. So, Outlaws, take charge, break free, and unleash the fixer within you!
Always remember, you were always born to be the hero of your story.
Free your outlaw.