Power isn’t about wealth or fame or controlling people. Power is the ability to get what you want. If you can get what you want, you are powerful. If you can’t get what you want, you are powerless. Notice that our definition of power has two parts: “the ability to get” and “what you want.” Most people focus only on the first part, “the ability to get”. But the second part, “what you want”, is equally, if not more important. Because if you don’t know what you want, you’ll never get it. You will find yourself continually getting something else and never satisfied with it. But if you know what you want, you focus your effort and time on getting what you want, you become powerful.
How Do You Know is a 2010 movie full of funny and witty conversations. I appreciate two conversations the most and believe they will positively affect me, and you.
One. Lisa visited a shrink after a setback in her career – she was cut from the US softball team. – Can I ask you just one stupid question? – No such thing. – I was wondering if there’s one general thing you’ve found over the years… to be generally true… in a general way that would help anyone with any situation? – That’s a great question. Yes. I’d say, figure out what you want and learn how to ask for it. Again, the ability to get what you want.
Two. George gave Lisa a birthday gift. – I got you a gift. – Thanks. (Lisa opening the gift.) Thanks for not rushing me. (It’s a can of play doh.) – This is only half the gift. – Yeah? – It doesn’t work without the story. Okay. This stuff was invented by this man in central Ohio as a white goo, and he used it to remove soot off of wallpaper from old-fashioned heating. So as gas and electric heating came in, there was no longer a need for the cleaning goo. So the guy was going under. But his sister-in-law was a school teacher. – Is this a true story? – The man’s name was Joe McVicker. His sister-in-law was Kay Zufall. – Okay, I believe you. – So Kay Zufall discovered that little kids liked squeezing the goo a lot more than hard modelling clay. So she suggested to Joe that they colour the stuff and call it Play-Doh. Hey. – Nice. – So I have kept this for a long time as proof that we’re all just one small adjustment away from making our lives work. Wow!
BTW, I have always enjoyed Reese Witherspoon’s acting, from Legally Blonde (2001) to Wild (2014).
