i've got the power

There is a pile of books on the floor that overflowed from my bookcase. I am surprised at the number of them that have power in the title.

"The Power of Flow" (Belitz & Lundstrom) offers "Practical Ways to Transform Your Life with Meaningful Conincedence."

"The Power of Nice" (Thaler & Koval) teaches "How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness."

Piero Ferrucci (with a forward by the Dalai Lama..!), in "The Power of Kindness", speaks of "Unexpected Benefits of Leading a Compassionate Life."

The most powerful book in the pile, however, belongs to Marianne Williamson's "Return to Love." She didn't need to put power in her title. She made the desire for power a personal challenge. "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure...."

I met a very interesting young woman on the plane last week. We talked about the power of change, the power of fear and the power of success.

We talked about growing up in Sun Valley (her), skiing to work everyday in Colorado(me), and living in San Francisco (she was bartending and single, I was a working mother in Marin). Her biggest adventure was medical school at thirty. Mine was the move to Alaska with an AARP card. (I wonder: Does medical school trump Alaska?) Each of us had changed where we lived and how we lived many, many times. We shared our stories, laughed, and made five hours slip away.

This trip may have inspired me to write another book titled "The Power of a Long Flight Home: How to Share, Learn and Laugh your Way around the World." I'll open the first page with a quote sent by my dear friend from one of my "past lives":

"The true measure of success in life isn't money, fame or power. It's laugh lines."

Laughter? Now that's powerful.