Redirect You

This page is just an archive for all my old posts. My new blog is at blog.sayfurrahman.com. Thank you.

16 June 2006

Power

"Relinquishment of power may bring greater power than holding it tight within your grasp..."

How true is that statement? Sometimes to me it brings a great feeling and sense of truth. Yet at times... Power is just something that you cannot relinquish easily. It has that attraction; a certain allure... That just calls to you to keep holding... and holding... and hold furthermore.

I have held a few positions thus far in my twenty (almost twenty-one) short years of life. Yet one after another, I find that often the position is more "beautiful" when painted and viewed from an outside perspective. That is... Not being on the "throne of power"; whatever kind that might be. Often I would be tempted to move for that position. And often, the picture painted when on that "throne" is different black is to white.

I find that as I trudge forth on this path called Life, that more and more, I dislike being drawn as such to power. I dislike the burdens that come with it. I dislike having expectations to be fulfilled. So I began to think maybe relinquishing all would give me relief. Yet as I looked back... If I were to give up now, turn my back on responsibility... I would begin to question myself. What then would I be? Could I even hope to be Muslim after such a betrayal of trust? Then came to my thoughts that this is another trapping of power. Doubt... doubt of the consequences of letting it go.

Come all that... power has yet to be defined in this scope that we confine ourselves. What is power? What is this word of five letters that would force and demand bidding? What is this drug that because of it so many fall out of grace? But then what is this 'something' that effected to correct usage, would turn good for all mankind?

By the meanings of many... power is the ability to effect change. The possession of authority or influence. Yet a double-sided sword it is... With ability to effect change either way. Towards good... or towards bad. 'Tis a choice faced by many leaders. Yet only a small group manage to avoid its trap entirely.

As to that... I guess we must all pose ourselves the question: are we infatuated; drowning with power bestowed upon us? No matter how much power given... Even a little may corrupt. As to that... Maybe the best solution is that if we learn to relinquish it. Learn to pass it on. Learn to diminish its influenece on our souls. And as to that, "relinquishment of power" does, in its way, bring "greater power".

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