mind was conditioned for many years. Our parents did not mean to
harm us by giving us this information. They did the best job they
could with the information they had at the time.
How do we change our perception of authority figures to reflect
a more realistic view? The next method will place authority figures
in proper perspective.
AUTHORITYSIZEMETHOD
First, understand there are no right or wrong answers here. The
method will be different for everyone.
Find a nice comfortable place where you can relax. Close
your eyes and take a deep breath. Relax totally. Now imagine a picture
of your father—however that comes up for you in your mind. Once you
have the picture of your father, imagine a picture of yourself. Once you
have both pictures in your mind, place them side-by-side. Which person
appears larger—is your father larger than you are, or are you larger
than he is? Just remember the answer to this for now. We will come back
to this shortly.
Next, clear the pictures in your mind by looking at the ceiling for about
three seconds. Then look straight ahead at the wall for three seconds. Now
go through the same exercise with your mother. Imagine a picture of your
mother in your mind—however she looks to you. Once you have the pic-
ture of your mother, get a picture of yourself again. Once you have both
pictures in your mind, place them side-by-side. Notice which person ap-
pears larger—is your mother larger than you are, or are you larger than
she is?
Use this method for any authority figure in your life. For example, we
used this technique when we were looking for a publisher for this book.
You now have a picture of your parents compared to you. Were they
larger in size than you? Was one of your parents larger than you and the
other smaller? If so, which one was larger? This is important for you to
understand. If your father was larger, then you may want to look at other
male authority figures in your life and see how they compare. Con-
versely, if your mother was larger, you may want to look at other female
authority figures.
The next step is to learn how to change your perceptions about them.
Pick any authority figure and imagine this person. Also imagine yourself
standing next to this person. Make yourself larger and shrink your author-
ity figure down to about the height of your knee. How does this make you
feel? Do you feel more in control? Now make yourself more colorful and
brighter, and imagine your authority figure dimmer, darker, fuzzier, and in
black and white.
How do you feel now? Did this impact your experience? Do you feel
How to Stop Giving Away Your Power 103