[Sarah]

Hey Thea, I do have this happen fairly regularly, not by folks in up-power from me, but more often folks who perceive themselves as down-power when really our relationship is more nebulous than that.

I imagine what to do is really context dependent. But if this is someone you have an ongoing relationship with, is it possible to name what you’re experiencing directly? Such as, “hey, it feels like our dynamic has shifted. Did you notice that? What’s going on there?”

In relationships that are more distant, I think just being consistent with our humility is the best we can do. We can’t force anyone’s agency on them, but if you don’t allow it to puff you up, then it’ll be harder for someone to try to knock you down later. 🙃

For me, the goal of this work with power is less about “doing it right” and more about expanding awareness and being willing to have challenging conversations when I do it “wrong.”

Hope that helps!