Power Vs Force
structure to something I was already experiencing.
This book didn’t introduce a new idea to me so much as give structure to something I was already experiencing.
Hawkins draws a clear distinction between power and force—not as moral categories, but as energetic states. Power, in his framing, is quiet. It doesn’t rush. It doesn’t persuade or perform. It’s rooted in alignment and coherence. Force, on the other hand, is effortful. It pushes. It needs resistance in order to exist.
What struck me most was how immediately practical this distinction became.
I started noticing it everywhere—not in big decisions, but in small moments:
when I felt the urge to convince instead of clarify
when I rushed through something that didn’t need urgency
when I tried to make something happen instead of letting it take shape
The book helped me see that force often wears the disguise of productivity. It can look like motivation, ambition, or even righteousness. But underneath, it’s usually driven by fear—of being misunderstood, left behind, or not enough.
Power feels different in the body.
It’s steadier. Slower. There’s less internal noise. Less narration. When I’m in power, I’m not trying to manage perception. I’m simply present. And interestingly, that’s when things tend to move more smoothly, with less effort.
This idea mirrors so much of what I come back to in Simply May—that influence doesn’t come from intensity or volume, but from coherence. From being aligned rather than activated. From allowing rather than forcing.
It also reframed something we’ve talked about before: that truth isn’t something you argue into existence. It’s something you recognize. When something is real, it doesn’t need to shout.
“True power arises from alignment with the highest truth.
Force is always a sign of weakness.”
— David R. Hawkins
Since reading this, I’ve been using a quieter internal check:
Am I pushing here, or am I aligned?
Am I trying to control the outcome, or stay present with the process?
Does this require force—or does it resolve when I soften?
This book doesn’t offer tactics in the traditional sense. It offers discernment. A way to notice when energy leaks out through effort, and when it gathers through presence.
Like the best books, it didn’t give me something to do.
It gave me something to notice.
Listen: A conversation inspired by this book will be shared on the Simply May Podcast.
Buy It Here: Amazon, Power VS Force