The Power Within

I'm not here to give news and commentary, amplifying everything that’s gone wrong in America. Plenty of others are already covering those details well. This is a self-care publication meant to help you learn how to do something about it—by turning angst and anger into empowerment. The goal of tyranny is to weaken your body, mind, and spirit because when these are intact, you can effectively oppose the tyrant. So, this series begins by focusing first on protecting your wellness.

On this journey, I’ll be your guide, companion, and coach. My goal is to help you develop latent abilities and sharpen your skills—to inspire, motivate, and encourage you to be brave. To remind you that you are not alone. You matter. You can make a difference.

I humbly admit that this is exactly the support I also need, and my guidance comes from the wise words of Henry David Thoreau, Viktor Frankl, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as contemporaries such as Gene Sharp, Peter Ackerman, Timothy Snyder, Erica Chenoweth, and many others who have shared their experience and expertise in confronting oppression and injustice. I also find much encouragement and inspiration in the work of countless resisters, activists, and organizers currently working around the world, whom I’ll highlight and celebrate in future posts.

While this moment may feel unique for many Americans of Protestant, Northern European descent, it is not for people from other places, periods, races, and cultures. Tyranny—defined as the cruel, oppressive, arbitrary, and unreasonable use of power and control—has existed throughout history and will continue to exist time and again. America’s founders understood this and sought to counter the threat of tyranny by embedding protections in the Constitution, specifically outlining the three branches of government—executive, legislative, and judicial—and their respective powers. Yet even they could not have foreseen the challenges that globalization and the technological age would bring.

The United States' decline into tyranny is the result of a sustained, multigenerational attack on Americans and American institutions—an attack accelerated by the misuse of technology. A well-educated, healthy, and financially secure population does not easily trade democracy for tyranny. As Aristotle argued, a strong middle class is the backbone of a nation and the best defense against tyranny. Thus, the effort to disenfranchise and demoralize the population was a long game, beginning with the erosion of the middle class. This was accomplished through unfair taxation, cost-prohibitive secondary education, and unaffordable housing and health care—pushing many from the lower middle class into poverty and leaving them in a constant state of overwhelm.

People who are financially burdened are often stuck in survival mode, with little time or energy to focus on the mechanisms of the government under which they live. They become easy prey for the soundbites of a charismatic populist intent on exploiting them for wealth and power. All he has to do is tell their eager ears that someone else is to blame for their suffering—and that they only need to trust him to fix it. Nothing captures this dynamic more aptly than the Turkish proverb:

“The forest was shrinking, but the trees kept voting for the axe, for the axe was clever and convinced the trees that because his handle was made of wood, he was one of them.”

Unfortunately, those who are scapegoated are always the most marginalized and vulnerable—and the first to be cut down.

The assault of lies and propaganda, accelerated through social channels and now the mainstream media, has only further confounded and demoralized us, making it difficult to know whom to believe and turning neighbors, friends, and family against one another. This, too, serves a purpose for those who seek power: a unified people cannot easily be conquered.

While this is a difficult reality to contemplate, it is our reality now. It's important to confront it and recognize how much we’ve been persuaded to normalize the unacceptable while doubting our own perceptions. True resistance is not always found in grand gestures but often in reclaiming control over the smallest aspects of our daily lives.

Take the first small step back toward clarity by visualizing yourself sweeping all the lies and negativity into a dustpan and tossing it into the trash. Then refocus your attention on this simple fact—you are okay in this moment. You wouldn’t be concentrating on these words if you were in imminent danger. So, cherish this moment of relative serenity. Breathe. Take another, slower, deeper breath. Look around. Is there something beautiful within sight? If not, what beautiful thought or memory can you conjure? There is always beauty to appreciate somewhere.

Calming your nervous system is essential to empowerment, as is setting an intention to maintain your well-being. Begin by considering what you consume—the things you put into your body and mind not only have a profound impact on your health, but they may also support the very people who intend to suppress and exploit you.

In view of this, taking action to form new, healthier habits can be a radical act of resistance. Make a list of the items you regularly consume, and identify a few you could eliminate or replace with better alternatives. Even small shifts can make a big difference, and there are plenty of apps to make it easier, such as Yuka, which lets you scan grocery barcodes to identify harmful additives. Goods Unite Us shows how your consumer dollars support political parties, policies, and politicians. Ground News helps you detect media bias across news sources. Better yet, seek out independent journalists, many of whom can be found on newsletter platforms like this one.

Along with consumption habits, consider lifestyle choices that can benefit your health, such as exercise, rest, time in nature, staying hydrated, and connecting with a supportive community. It’s important to be in your best shape before you begin to change the world because the first and most significant change always comes from within.

To summarize:

• Ground yourself.
• Set intentions around what you consume.
• Prepare your mind and body for meaningful action.

Up Next: Joining with community and increasing your power.