This article is intended for individuals who struggle with power dynamics and dominant personalities and who wish to explore their limiting beliefs.

Many people struggle with dominant individuals—those who exert control or pressure. Such interactions can trigger strong emotional responses, leading them to feel disempowered. Are you one of those people? Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

1. Which people come to mind when you think of power and abuse of power? What do they do that is so irritating?**
2. Imagine we hired an actor and provided detailed instructions. What behavior should they display to annoy you? What behavior do you find extremely irritating? What do you think someone should never do? Write down this behavior very specifically.**
3. Why are you so sensitive to this? You may notice that there are other people who don’t have much of a problem with this power behavior. What is it in your background that makes you feel disempowered by this? Is it something from your upbringing or an unpleasant experience in your life? Write this down as the cause.**
4. What are the consequences of rejecting this power behavior? Is there behavior that you would never display, which truly doesn’t align with who you are? What are the effects of this? Because sometimes it is useful to be clear, demanding, or assertive. Are there situations where you are not as effective because you don’t follow through? What effect does this have on your performance? Write this down under the heading of significance.**
5. Now create a complete belief statement using a CEM structure by combining everything you wrote in points 2, 3, and 4 into a flowing sentence. For example: "Because my elementary school teacher was so demanding, I can't stand people who tell me what to do. I notice that I sometimes remain too nice when I should correct others in my role."**

Refresh the Limiting Beliefs

Go to the e-learning module of Part 3 and draw a few cards. Answer the questions and create a new narrative with your answers.

Identity

If you were to partially let go of your limiting beliefs about power, who would you be? Does your self-image change if you sometimes start to assert yourself, push through, and force issues? In what situations do you find this acceptable and why? Add these conditions to your narrative to make it more realistic.