There seem to be buzzwords that float around every few years. One of the more popular words of today is “empowerment.”
The Definition of Empowerment
Merriam-Webster defines empowerment as “the act or action of empowering someone or something – the granting of the power, right, or authority to perform various acts or duties.”
It defines empowering as “to give official authority or legal power to.”
The Oxford Dictionary defines empowerment as “the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights.”
By definition, it’s adding to someone else’s power. It’s also a way of helping them become stronger. You can empower others. You also have it within you to empower yourself.
Key Areas of Empowerment
Career/Employee Empowerment
As a general rule, employees who have more responsibility for decision-making and actually have a voice, will be more motivated and invested. This level of empowerment gives them room to make mistakes, true, but the ceiling is raised for higher levels of satisfaction and productivity. Employees are more confident when they know the company trusts them, and empowered employees usually stay in their jobs longer.
Family Empowerment
We all need encouragement, and to know your family believes in you is powerful. It’s absolutely necessary for spouses to look for way to empower each other. And you know who else needs empowerment? Children. And they need a lot of it! Look for ways to help build your family members’ self-esteem. Let your kids have a say in their own lives from an early age. Encourage independence! When it’s time for them to head off on their own, you want to know they’re ready and feel excited about taking ownership of their life.
Financial Empowerment
According to the American Psychological Association, “72% of Americans reported feeling stressed about money at least some time in the prior month.” They also reported that money is the #1 stressor in America. Many of us are one slipping car transmission away from real trouble. It doesn’t have to be this way! Financial empowerment means you’re in control of your money. It’s about setting goals and sticking to them with a standard of living that is on par with those goals.
One key to this kind of empowerment is recognizing that your income is not the key to wealth. A high paying job helps, sure. But how many pro athletes go flat broke after blowing all their millions during their playing careers? Wealth is simply assets minus liabilities. And taking control of your money is the start to financial freedom. Get on a plan to make sure you feel financially empowered to face your future.
How to Feel More Empowered
You can empower yourself. Maybe it’s you in need of encouragement. Maybe it’s you who feels like you’ve lost control over life. If so, you can start thinking the right thoughts about yourself and taking steps to believe the right things about yourself. Self-talk is a big deal! What do you think about yourself? Really stop and give that some thought. How do you see yourself? Is it healthy? What do you say about yourself when you’re talking to family and friends? What behaviors do you accept from others that tears you down?
So, what can you do to feel more empowered for yourself?
- Take time for yourself. Unplug and relax. Say no when everyone on earth seems to be asking for something. You deserve a break. You need it.
- Do positive things for other people. This isn’t doing what others ask you to do for them or someone else. Find someone to invest in and do it.
- Follow your instincts. If you have a bad feeling about someone, there’s probably a reason. Listen to that. If you feel someone is using you in a given situation, listen to that.
- Forgive yourself. Keep your standards high but know that we all make mistakes. Brush it off, focus yourself on your goals, and start moving forward again.
- Open up your heart. Oh this one feels risky! And it is. But if you’re living with a wall up, to protect yourself from pain, you’re also missing out on a lot of joy. Be confident and put yourself out there. The bumps and bruises are worth the experiences!
“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“I want to be in the arena. I want to be brave with my life. And when we make the choice to dare greatly, we sign up to get our asses kicked. We can choose courage, or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time.” Brene Brown
“Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!” Anne Frank
Need Help Feeling Empowered to Reach Your Goals?
For help on feeling empowered and taking control of your life or career, consider professional coaching from Southwestern Consulting. A certified sales or leadership coach can help you or your team feel empowered to reach their goals and achieve more than they ever thought possible.
Contact us today for a free consultation to see if coaching or group training from Southwestern Consulting may be right for you.
I can’t say enough about [my coach]. I had the opportunity to work with him for a year. During that year, I was able to learn from someone who pushed me beyond what was comfortable. From our time together, we increased our referrals, and made it where people were chasing us down to give them. He helped free up my day by teaching me how to calendar everything (including family/personal time). From this, I was able to accomplish a lot more in less time. I highly recommend using [a coach]!!
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