It’s easy to say, ‘Empower yourself!’ but it’s not so easy to figure out how to go about actually doing it. Game of Thrones fans are trying to give their daughters an empowering head start in life by naming them Khaleesi after main character Daenerys Targaryen’s queenly title. Of course it takes much more than a name to truly own your power and it can be especially tough for women.
With presidential campaigns in full swing, Hillary Clinton symbolizes just how far women have come while Donald Trump reminds us how far we still have to go. A 2014 study by the WZB Berlin Social Science Center illustrates that empowered women are truly a force to be reckoned with. They study found, “Female empowerment is a core driver of democratization,” and, “Female educational attainment, women’s labor force participation, and low fertility rates jointly pave the way for moving a country towards democracy.” No wonder some men find the concept threatening.
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The main thing to remember about how to empower yourself is that it’s not just about a feeling; it’s about taking action, making your voice heard and making positive changes that impact you and the world around you. Once you get started, it can grow into a cycle of increasing positivity. You gain self-confidence, which gives you the courage to speak out. As you make yourself heard and recognize your ability to have an effect on others, you’ll feel even more confident and begin to make even bigger moves.
The first step taking good care of yourself by eating healthy food, exercising and getting plenty of rest. All of those things make you look better and think more clearly. Even superficial things like great posture and a purposeful stride, exude power outwardly and will ultimately make you feel it inside too. You’ve got to fake it till you make it, right?
Then you need to think about what empowerment means to you. For some people it’s running for president, for others it’s as simple as being able to express your feelings without worrying about judgment.
Set goals and map out what steps you must take to achieve them. Stay true to yourself, lock out all of the negative self-talk, stop worrying about what other people might think and learn to trust your intuition. Write down all of your strengths and find ways to make the most of them. Don’t be afraid to take risks and fail. Often, in retrospect, many of our biggest failures wind up teaching us crucial lessons that lead to future success.
Anyone can do it and owning your power is a direct route to greater happiness and reduced stress. Next thing you know, you’ll be living a more fulfilling professional and personal life.
