So many of us have had negative experiences with power. It feels like something to fear, something bad, or something to avoid all together.

But what if God wants us to step into our power in a healthy way? And what if understanding the power we have is at the core of building healthy connections with other people?

Today's episode is straight from my heart and from my own tenuous relationship with power.

Here's what I cover:

1. What is power?

2. Why we think of power as bad

3. What healthy power looks like

4. The problems that arise when we do not claim our own power

5. Different ways power is abused

6. Why women in particular tend to avoid their own power

7. The paradigm-shattering example of power in the birth of Jesus

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Find a list of resources and the full transcript for this episode here.

Music by Andy Luiten

Sound editing by Kelly Kramarik

Learn more about 6 Painful Parenting Patterns and 7 Friendship Red Flags in The Best of You, by Dr. Alison Cook

To learn more about the parts of your soul, check out my book with Kimberly Miller, Boundaries for Your Soul

Power - "the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events." (Oxford Language Dictionaries)

Podcast episodes referenced:

Episode 1: What Is Narcissism Really?

Episode 2: What Should I Know About Gaslighting?

Episode 24: Boundaries, the Spectrum of Toxicity, and a Note About Evil

Episode 25: Types of No Part 1—How to Say “No” in Healthy Relationships

Episode 26: Types of "No" Part 2—How to Say "No" to Toxicity, The Real Meaning of Turn the Other Cheek & How to Form a Boundaries Committee

Scriptures referenced:

* Philippians 2:1-11

* Matthew 7:6

While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.

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S4: Week 51 Day 5: Applying Genesis 2:8-9 & Revelation 22:1-3