the power in you - power balls, hold them - don't be manipulated

I'm not sure if you all realize this, but there is a power in your life and this power is the power that we have to either be happy or miserable. The power that we have to either let someone hurt us or to protect ourselves.

You know how you allow people to manipulate you, like when you say things that set you up to be hurt, when you ask questions that you already know the answer to. Its hard to describe. Its when you LET someone hurt you, consciously or unconsiously.

I've tried to hold onto this power, not give it to other people. I've let too many people take the power from me, I've let so many people hurt me or upset me.

I remember the first time that I consciously held onto the power. I was talking to my ex-husband on the phone, things were always painful and tense at this point, but this time I didn't leave anything open for me to be hurt, didn't give him the opportunity to say or do something that might upset me. When I hung up the phone, I felt so good, so strong and smart.

While I was talking to him, I visualized the power as a glowing little ping-pong ball that I was gripping tightly in my hand. The more I held onto it, the brighter it got. I could almost feel him trying to take it from me, by things he was saying or how he was acting. But I didn't react, didn't give in, kept my ping-pong ball in my hand the whole time.

I don't know if this might help anyone, but it has really helped me and many of my friends. Last night a friend she told me about an argument she had with her boyfriend, and she was so proud of herself that she held onto all her ping-pong balls!

We talked about how we actually throw them at people, giving the power to them, giving the the strength to destroy us. And how we actually recieve their power sometimes too. I realized how important it was to protect my power and not just throw it away and let myself be hurt and crushed. It is that power that protects our emotions, it is that power that keeps us sane in an insane time.

During that time when I first came to this realization of the existence of this power, I made a few ping-pong balls covered in glitter, and gave them to many of my friends. They all loved them and I still see them displayed in their houses. They represent the power that we must protect and I can't tell you how many people told me that when they realized this, they would hold their little sparkely ping-pong ball in their hands when they were in a bad situation, and try to consciously remember to protect themselves.