Haaa “Empowerment”. THE buzzword we've seen everywhere for the past few years. “Women empowering women”, “empower yourself” , “get empowered”… It is such a pretty word with such a badass connotation. Yet, many of us aren’t even sure of what it actually means. Let's dive in, shall we?
First of, let's get the actual definition:
“Empowerment is the authority or power given to someone to do something."
- Oxford Dictionary
That something being positive for yourself and others. Whether it is a new dream, a new goal, a new creation of some sort…
But wait, does this means that to get empowered, it has to come from somewhere else other than yourself? Theoratically, yes.
First, well, that's why we are here. 😉
Second, yes, you can be empowered by someone else, and yourself can empower someone.
While, technically, you don't need permission, validation, or encouragement to do anything for yourself, many of us feel that need. This is very often labelled as negative. And it could be, if everything you want to do depends on it.
But if not, so what if you need an extra boost from a loved one to make a jump towards something you’ve been wanting to do?
We all need outside support and it would be a shame to deny ourselves this option. If you have someone who has your best interest at heart, willing to empower you, at least, give it a listen. As we talked about in our post about the important of the female collective, we can only go so far alone. Especially considering how great empowerment feels.
How does it feel to be empowered?
To sum it up, it feels like you've received a huge boost of confidence and that you can move mountains likes they're grains of salt.
You feel like yourself, ready to tackle the world, bring your dreams to reality and you usually take more people along with you.
It is a beautiful feeling and you must have felt it one way or another at least once. Maybe when you achieved a goal you didn't think you could, or maybe when you caught your reflection in the mirror and went “damn, I look good!”. Take a moment to think about the last time you felt it, even if it was just a little spark.
💡 When was the last time you felt empowered?
Now, how do you get more of this? Does that mean you need to harass your loved ones so they can turn the switch on?
Well, good news, you don't have to!
Can I empower myself?
Absolutely. Self-empowerment is actually a must in order to build yourself and live your life the way you want. You can take charge of your own path and develop that rock solid confidence.
Your self-empowerment starter pack:
1) Remind yourself you know what is best for you.
At the end of the day, you are the person you spent the most time with and you know yourself better than anyone. If you are going through a moment of self-doubt and are getting lost in outside noise, take a breather and ask yourself what it is that you really want.
2) Learn to read between the lines of judgement.
Judgement is the worst obstacle to change. If we dare to share an idea with someone and that person go against it more or less subtlely, there is a good chance we would back out of it. Before you do, ask yourself if it is actually about you, or if that person is projecting their own insecurity on you. (Spoiler alert, in 99.9% of the time, that is what's going on when someone is judging you.)
3) Find your support system
You don't have a supportive family, friends or partners? Good news, there are other circles that can provide the support you need on many levels. (Ahem, again, us being one of them). Quick reminder while we are at it, just because some people are family doesn't mean they can't be toxic. Just leaving that here.
4) Empower someone else
This is the nicest snowball effect: when you do the empowering for someone, you will receive some back and/or will get inspired to take actions yourself. Really, try it.
5) Give yourself permission.
Create little moments for yourself when you let your mind go wild. No expectations, no money or skill issues, nobody stopping you. Think outside the box, day dream, meditate, journal, see what comes out. You could be surprised by how reachable some of those ideas can be.
There you have it. Now you can honestly say what empowerment is when you mention it and you know how to start digging to get your dose!