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Changing the Way You Think Can Empower You

Written by: Debora McLaughlin

Article Overview: What is the real meaning and purpose of self empowerment and why do you need to have it?

Changing the Way You Think Can Empower You

In order to be influential in meeting your goals, you also need to be empowered to do so. How do we attain empowerment? A lot of people think of empowerment as a desirable state to achieve. But how do we really empower ourselves? The first thing we have to do is find out the real meaning of empowerment. Empowerment can be defined as being able to have control over your life. However, it doesn't necessarily mean having power over the life of other people. To be empowered basically means having control or power over all the aspects of your own life. It means you have to think of yourself and take responsibility for your life. And I mean to really take ownership. When things are not working well, don't look outside of yourself for excuses or for a means to fix it. We are all affected by the economy, by how we are treated by others, by our family upbringing. But those are only pieces of the fine cloth we are quilted together with. Thinking that you are fully responsible for your own life and its results is empowering alone. Only you set the direction, only you can veer back on the path when you've been "off roading" a bit. Taking full responsibility for your health, your weight, your knowledge, your career advancement, your choice of the relationships you are in. It can be scary, but it is freeing at the same time. But there may be obstacles along the way that will hinder self-empowerment. Our social conditioning can greatly deter our aim to be empowered. Most people have been conditioned to give away their powers. In fact, all of us are conditioned that way. For instance, we always consider that the people in authority have absolute knowledge. Our minds have been conditioned not to question their capabilities. Doctors who give us advice are one fine example. We, as patients, have always kept in our mind not to question their advice. We simply take their advice and view it as gospel. But recently, this kind of attitude is changing somewhat. People are becoming more responsible for their own health. They have learned that even if these people are in the authority, we can also question them with respect. Think about yourself, what do you also need to question, to change, to take ownership of? That is the simple definition of empowerment, taking full responsibility and ownership of the one person you can - you. Take inventory, notice what is not right and make it right, notice what is working well and amp it more. And have fun doing it!

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Article Tags: influence, leadership, personal power, self empowerment



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