We give our power away without knowing it. This automatically puts us at the mercy of others, and they begin "controlling" our lives. We might even become victims to other's thoughts, actions, or lack thereof.
An example of this is seeking or "needing approval" of others. This is a moving target at best. First of all, it's only the other person's opinion. And it is steeped in their history, current problems, prejudices, and even how they're feeling at that time. We give our power away to them by needing or silently begging for their approval. Our whole attitude and personality may hinge on whether they abide by our wishes. This is particularly critical when it is a long term relationship like spousal or parent.
Understanding that their approval is only opinion and should not effect our self worth, make or break our day, or have anything to do with self esteem, allows us to hold onto our power and not ride the roller coaster of what others think, say, or how they react to us.
So along with keeping the faith, keep the power too.
