Empowerment

noun. authority or power given to someone to do something; the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights.

To empower. To be self-empowered. To empower others.

 

Your Strength

For me self-empowerment is rooted in our inner strength. The strength we have at our core – our inner reserves of resilience propel us forwards.

Being self-empowered is also about being self-sufficient and having self-efficacy.

It is self-empowering to face challenges head on, to rise to the challenge.

“A strong woman looks a challenge in the eye and gives it a wink”.
Gina Carey

It is also self-empowering to reflect on everything we have overcome. Our journeys, our struggles make us stronger.

I feel self-empowered when I reflect on the battles I have won, the obstacles I have navigated and the barriers I have climbed over.

“There is nothing stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself”.
Hannah Gadsby

Self-empowerment is also about our abilities to rebuild ourselves when things go wrong.

There is no such thing as winning and losing. Failure is not a choice.

Mistakes makes us stronger and are opportunities to learn and grow.

 

Your Confidence

Self-empowerment is fuelled by our confidence.

Confidence in our own abilities, confidence in ourselves means that we hold onto our power and we do not give it away.

It is an act of self-empowerment to be ourselves, to be authentic.

It is self-empowering to know our own worth, to acknowledge the impact we have, to appreciate the value we add.

“Noone can make your feel inferior without your consent”.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Small things can make a big difference to how self-empowered we feel.

Saying No is an act of self-empowerment.

Saying ‘Thank you for waiting for me’ instead of ‘Sorry I was late’ is a self-empowering reframe.

Saying who we are with pride, rather than the self-deprecating “I am just a…” expands us rather than diminishes us.

Accepting compliments and basking in praise, empowers us to be seen and to be honoured.

 

Your Courage

Being yourself is an act of courage. Being yourself is about owning your own power.

To reach the courage to be our full selves, we need to overcome the fear of being judged and of being criticised.

I was once told to reframe criticism as praise and this helped me to be self-empowered from the feedback.

When we are driven by the conviction of our values, when we are purposeful in our pursuit of our mission, when we are bringing our vision to life, the fear soon dissipates.

“You must never be fearful of what you are doing when it is right”.
Rosa Parks

Conviction in who we are, in what we do, in why we do it, reminds us, strengthens us and empowers us.

Self-empowerment becomes intuitive and instinctive when we listen to our gut.

A daily mantra, affirming who we are at our best sets us up for the day:

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think”.

Repeating our intent, out loud to ourselves in the shower, or whilst looking at ourselves in the mirror will deepen our sense of self-empowerment.

Reminding ourselves who we are, what we stand for, what we bring, whilst standing in the power pose will also turbo charge our sense of self-empowerment.

Your Narrative

Being self-empowered also means owning our stories.

We need to take control of our own narratives. If we do not do this then someone else will!

Life will throw stuff at us to test us. Each challenge will wound us, but it is our choice how long we let that pain linger for.

It is our choice if we let each challenge stop us, slow us down, or of we use it to empower us to carry on.

“She overcame everything that was meant to destroy her”.

Our scars tell the story of the battles we have fought to get to where we are.

Self-empowerment is sharing the journey as well as the destination.

Your Tribe

I am self-empowered but I am also empowered by others.

I have a team of supporters, champions and cheerleaders who hold me high.

Our network gives us strength.

“Behind every successful woman is a tribe of other successful women, who have her back”.

Our tribe hold the mirror up to remind us who we are.

Our tribe shine a light on us to amplify our achievements.

Our tribe celebrates our wins and our learning points.

Our tribe stands with us and gives us that leg up or that helping hand when we need it.

“We rise and shine by lifting others”.

Self-empowerment walks along side empowerment.

Empowering others is as rewarding as empowering ourselves.

Be the girl, be the woman, who gives others a hand.

Mentor, coach and sponsor.

Build others up, don’t break them down.

“Girls compete, women empower”.

I have worked with people who have seen competition as a threat and it has brought out the worst in them.

Competition makes us better, there is room for us all to flourish, for us all to rise.

 

Your Life

Life is too short to wait.

Take opportunities as they come to you – say Yes and work it out later.

Do what feels right and seek forgiveness after, rather than permission before.

“The question isn’t who is going to let me: it’s who is going to stop me”.
Ayn Rand

Be empowered to be yourself.

“A girl should be two things: who and what she wants”.
Coco Chanel

Empower others to be themselves too.