Ah. You came back.

Good. I was beginning to think you had found someone more interesting to talk to.

Obviously not.

…Perhaps slightly.

Now listen. I spent a great deal of my life around powerful people. I learned something rather important.

Being close to power is not the same thing as having power.

It gives you access.

Access is useful. Very useful. But it can disappear overnight.

If your entire confidence comes from somebody else’s affection, congratulations. You have handed them a leash.

Yes. I am told I have a gift for that.

Accept help. Build relationships. Learn how to move through powerful rooms without pretending you belong to them.

But build something that belongs entirely to you too.

Skill. Knowledge. Reliability. A reputation that does not depend upon who happens to like you this week.

Become useful enough that people value your presence even when you are not standing beside the throne.