Embodying Evolutionary Power
Who would’ve guessed that inflatable animal costumes would spark our inspiration? That we’d find ourselves surrounded by naked cyclists, decked-out rollerskaters, brass bands, and a constant flurry of messages schooling us how to resist the pull toward escalation?
I wonder what Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. would say about our collective crash course in nonviolent resistance. I hope they—and all those before us who’ve managed to step away from the thrall of escalation and return to their deeper humanity—know how profound it is that they’ve shown us another path.
For centuries, we’ve been conditioned to glorify force: polished weapons gleaming in the light, soldiers dressed in sharp uniforms, and the ever-present drumbeat of “might makes right” and “survival of the fittest.” It’s no wonder violence, cruelty, and authoritarianism can feel inevitable.
And then—something shifts. The unexpected miracle. One person shows up in a green frog costume. Another has the wisdom to see the new possibility, stepping outside the antiquated tale of domination and defeat and exposing the truth, that this old paradigm is one of inherent weakness. As more and more of us step forward from our joyful, creative selves we are collectively stripping away the illusion, exposing fascism for what it really is—not power, but fear dressed as strength.
I haven’t tracked down the source of this chart:
When I read it, I see how it’s actually a brilliant guide to living from true, evolutionary power, or, as we say on the Evolutionary Power Institute website:
Evolutionary Power speaks to the next step in human evolution, where each person reaches their potential through relationship, clearing old patterns so that they might fully express their true selves while connecting deeply to those around them. This type of power thrives on collaboration, co-creativity, and the celebration of each person’s innate gifts.
Ultimately, to live from Evolutionary Power means connecting one’s essence to the flow of life, and so manifesting outcomes consciously and directly. The result? A life that is a walking expression of one’s most authentic self, supported by all that is.
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ve already stepped into the awareness that you are here for this, that this moment is a turning point in human evolution. However, maybe you still have felt the grip of fear as democracy seems to falter, or as authoritarian figures are apparently tightening their grip.
But what I see is a pivot point. The old systems of domination/submission, of “Power Over” and “Power Under,” are crumbling. When someone in a rubber chicken costume stands face-to-face with armed, masked ICE agents, it marks more than just protest. It signals the emergence of a new era, one where creativity, love, joy, and peace are transmuting the dense, reactive, stress-filled energies of anger, pride, and fear.
We haven’t won. We’ve moved away from needing to vanquish, conquer, crush. It’s so much better. We’ve evolved.