What do you think power is?
Is power being the strongest guy in the room? Maybe the loudest guy
in the room? Does power come from achievements, status, money?
The word “power” has, for the lack of
a better term, very powerful connotations. We hear the world “power” and
immediately think of strong dictators, businessmen, and leaders. You
may even hear my title, student body president, and think that I possess
power. And you would be half right—I do have power, just not in the
traditional sense of the word.
But before we get into my
definition of power, I want to introduce myself. My name is John
Harris. I’m a 4-year executive board member, 3-year varsity
baseball player, peer minster, member of the BSU, NHS, Brother Tom
Miller Scholars program, SNHS, chess club, culinary club—you name it,
I’ve done it.
I’m not reciting this list to
flex my accomplishments or to say that I am better than any one of
you. I do it to highlight that, in one sense of the word, I
have power.
But I’m here to tell you now that my
power does not come from any of the accomplishments I just named. True
power doesn’t come from possessing money, accolades, or status; it comes
from the ability to create and foster genuine connections with those
around you.
I say this from experience, as I’ve
spent a good portion of my life pursuing the wrong definition of
power. At the expense of connecting with others, I’ve pushed
myself to achieve as much as I could and be the best in everything I
did. I became consumed by the worldly definition of power, and
it made me push away those in my life who meant the most to me.
It took the combined
effort of those same people I pushed away to
free me from myself and the toxic lifestyle
of the pursuit of power. I now understand the meaning of true power.
I understand the importance of forming connections with
others and enacting positive change through those relationships.
I understand that true power isn’t shown through a person’s achievements,
it’s shown through their interactions with those around him. I now
understand that my power comes from my powerlessness.
Moving forward, here’s what I
challenge you to do. Think about people in your life who have power and what
that power looks like. Think about if you have power. We’ve
witnessed great leaders and horrible dictators—both of which are
considered leaders—yet one is significantly better than another. Choose your
path. Choose your power.
