Power can be taken, but not given. The process of the taking is

“Power can be taken, but not given. The process of the taking is empowerment in itself.” These words from Gloria Steinem ring with the weight of ages, echoing the timeless truth that power is not a gift bestowed upon the meek, but something that must be seized, grasped with both hands, and held firmly. It is not handed down by those in authority, but rises from within, from the courage to claim one’s rightful place in the world. The act of taking power — of asserting oneself against the forces that seek to suppress — is a transformative act that shapes the very soul of the one who dares to do so.

In the ancient world, the great warriors and rulers did not wait for power to be offered to them; they took it. The mighty Alexander the Great, for example, did not sit idly by and wait for a crown to be placed upon his head. He fought battles, conquered empires, and by his own will, he carved his name into the annals of history. His rise was not one of passive waiting, but of active conquest — a taking of what was deemed unattainable, and in that very act, he was transformed into a living legend. Power, in his hands, became a force that reshaped the world, and in the act of taking it, he was empowered.

Consider the story of Joan of Arc, who, as a young peasant girl, took power in a time when women were expected to remain silent. Through her divine vision, she rose to lead armies and challenge the established order, even in the face of overwhelming odds. She did not seek permission from the powerful; she simply took the mantle of leadership that was thrust upon her by fate. In that moment, she found her empowerment, not in the power she was given, but in the audacity to claim it for herself, despite the skepticism and opposition she faced.

In more recent times, Rosa Parks, through an act of quiet defiance, took power in the fight for civil rights. By refusing to give up her seat on a bus, she did not wait for permission from the authorities; she claimed her right to dignity and equality. In that one act, she ignited a movement, showing that empowerment comes not from the permission of the oppressor, but from the unyielding will of the oppressed to claim their power. The act of taking power, in Parks’ case, was as transformative for her as it was for the movement she inspired.

Thus, Steinem’s words teach us that power is not something we wait for, nor something we receive as charity; it is something we must take for ourselves. Empowerment is not the result of waiting for someone to offer us the keys to the kingdom; it is the result of our own actions, our own willingness to stand up and claim our rightful place. To take power is to awaken to our own potential, to recognize that we do not need to be given anything — we can shape our own destiny through bold action and unwavering resolve.

Let us take this lesson into our hearts: power is not a gift, but a force that we must claim for ourselves. In the act of taking it, we are not only transforming the world around us, but we are transforming ourselves, becoming the architects of our own fate. Empowerment is the courage to step into the arena, to rise up and take what is ours by right, not by permission.