Three Things You Can Do Today to Feel Empowered

People who have ability to empower others, have something Julia Cameron called “the believing eyes”. They are able to see us being and doing what we dream of. I bet you can recall time, when you felt all fired up about some project, yet you still doubted if you have what it takes, and there was a person whose words of encouragement and simple “Of course you can do it, I totally see you doing it” instantly magnified your confidence.

If that friend, that mentor are not there, what can YOU do to put an end to self doubt and feel lasting sense of empowerment?

Instead of waiting passively, you do it yourself. You generate change from within.

In addition to simply believing in ourself, these three habits can help us feel empowered and “in charge”:

1. Stop comparing yourself to others. Start improving yourself

That’s a game you will never win.

If you are using comparison just to feel better, why would you need to do it in the first place? It may be time for you to look at your insecurities. On the other hand if you notice that “you are far behind”, you will beat yourself up, end up frustrated, “shoulding” yourself. I had a chronic problem with this and it’s neither pretty, nor productive. Success tends to look easy on the surface. It rarely is. Unless you know the person’s story in details, you will never know how much they had to sacrifice, learn, go thru, how many ups and downs they experienced.

When you resist comparing yourself, you will be less engaged in judgement, and self-judgement, YOU WILL focus instead on your work – this alone will be empowering.

HOW DO YOU DO THIS? Mindfulness helps: the moment you notice that you start comparing yourself, decide to stop such thoughts in their tracks. Instead, choose to focus on your special gifts and what is unique about you and what you offer. Appreciate what you already accomplished. Or simply, appreciate this moment. Your body in this space time and experience. This awareness and gratitude will bring your focus back to you, your work, your path. Much more empowering than the distracting judgement.

2. Take responsibility.

Have you noticed: when we leave our choices to chance, or to others, what happens when we don’t like the outcome? We complain and blame other people. We conveniently forget: we had a chance to make a decision, to take responsibility.

Leaving choices and decisions to others leads to disempowerment.

There are many opportunities throughout the day to take responsibility.

Take a responsibility for your body: What does the body need? Workout or rest? Second opinion of another doctor or taking the medicine that makes you confused? Is it time for comfort food, or would you actually feel empowered if you ate that big, organic salad for dinner?

Responsibility for your mind: We get caught up in worries, thoughts that run thru your head unleashed and chaotic. Those thoughts become more and more pessimistic and we are on a downward spiral. The empowering fact is: we can decide where our thoughts take us. Up or down. Imagine how you want to feel, how do you really want to go thru the day, how do you want to be in the end of the day, then choose thoughts you believe, thoughts that will get you there.

Our soul: How can you take responsibility for your spiritual growth? Do you follow certain ideology, rules set by someone else, or are you ready to create your own system, and practices that will truly connect you to the divine, creating a fulfilling inner life?

Our emotions: “You are responsible for the energy you bring to the room”. What energy do you emanate? Usually it will reflect what’ s on your conscious and subconscious mind. Do you know if the vibration of your thoughts is low or high? What do you want it to be? How to change it? Focus on more positive aspects of your situation. Think different thoughts. Notice the change in your energy.

3. Do Something. Take Action!

One of the best things you can do to feel empowered is to take a step or two that brings you closer to your goal. And the next day again. And again. To make it manageable, make a list of all the small things that need to be done so you can accomplish your goal. Every small success will make the next one easier.

How do you create positive habits? My favorite is Morning Practice. When you start the day right everything else is easier. I wrote before about the practice of meditation and exercise.

And here is my recent video on: what you lose when you get empowered

Did you find this article helpful? If yes, please share it. And please let me know in the comments below: what do you do to empower yourself?