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APX-V-0042

“I finally have power over people and I can feel it tempting me to use it.”

APX · Pillar II — Apex APX-V · Protect Those Beneath You.

Authority is new and it's intoxicating — you can feel the pull to throw weight around, to make people feel the gap between you. That pull is the test of what your strength is actually for. The strong are meant to protect those beneath them, not to remind them they're beneath. Power used to dominate is just appetite with a title. Power used to shield is the only kind worth holding.

Your Practice

  1. Name the specific moments you feel the urge to dominate. Awareness disarms most of it.
  2. Ask of each decision: does this protect the people under me or just remind them I'm above them?
  3. Use the authority to remove an obstacle for someone weaker this week — that's its proper direction.
  4. Watch for flattery. The people beneath you will tell you what you want to hear; protect them anyway.

More under APX-V

APX-V-0001“Someone weaker than me is getting crushed and I'm just watching.”APX-V-0002“I'm finally using my strength to lift others up.”APX-V-0003“I'm mentoring someone and watching them grow.”APX-V-0004“I realized I've been protecting the wrong things.”APX-V-0005“I'm stepping into a leadership role for the first time.”APX-V-0006“A child or young person in my life is struggling and needs guidance.”
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