EMPOWERMENT

When your life is YOURS to decide

Definition What is empowerment?

Empowerment is “the process of increasing the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes”.

How can you increase your capacity to make choices and to transform those choices into actions?

Help can be found on the way, but ultimately, you are the one who has to work to get power over your own life.

A matter of perception

We decide to act a certain way because of how we think of ourselves or how we think others think about us.

How do I imagine people see me? How do I see myself ?

Do I let my actions be led by what I think others will think?

Waiting for my life to startWe often tell ourselves that sometime, in the

future, things are going to change for us. Someday, things will… Next year, I will… When I get a promotion, I will… When I am rich, I will… When I have more confidence in myself, I will…

WHY NOT NOW?

Waiting for my life to start When we leave things

to faith, we make a choice. That choice is not to move, to stay inert.

By doing this, we feel as if we don’t have any control on our life. We feel as if we are not doing anything, and that nothing good ever happens to us.

We are powerless.

Taking risks

Making a change in your life inevitably means to take some sort of risk. Taking risks, though, is something that paralyses people. Why is it that we don’t want to take risks?

We fear the unknown. We fear change. Sometimes, we don’t have confidence in our capacities to handle a new situation. It takes less energy to stay in an old pattern than to try something new, even if it is better for us in the end.

How is it, compared to not doing anything? The thing is that, by doing nothing, we also gain

nothing.

Every single change will come with a part of risk… but the reward makes it worth it.

The voice in my head

Everybody has an inner voice that serves as their conscience: a sort of Jiminy Cricket. Sometimes, that voice is

extremely helpful in dealing with situations. Other times, that voice brings us down and makes us lose confidence in our own capacities to move, to change.

Harmful messages: “I am not good enough” “The world is against me” “I will never amount to anything”

ACTIVITY: What are your voices that make you powerless?

Banishing harmful thoughts

Practice positive thinking What is positive thinking?

Focusing on what is good about yourself, other people, and the world around you.

What are the benefits? Positive thinking leads to positive feelings and actions.

Practice thinking about what you can do, not what you can’t do

Practice eliminating thoughts that give the power of directing your life to OTHERS. What are you in control of?

ACTIVITY: Self-Worth worksheet

ExcusesWhy we use them

“I would have done it, but…” There are an infinite number of excuses not to do things we

don’t really want to do. They contribute to the inertia that makes us decide not to move or to leave decisions about our life to others. “I was sick.” “My alarm did not ring.” “I had to go and help family members, sorry.” “I’m too tired. I didn’t sleep last night.” “I didn’t have any money for the bus.” “I don’t like crowds. I can’t do it.” “I didn’t have the time to do it.” “I played paintball yesterday and now I’m sore.” “I forgot.”

ExcusesWhy we use them

Excuses are convenient. The problem is that we to act and move toward a goal, we need to get past them. Why is it so easy to use excuses? It’s human nature not to want to confront our faults – and, by

extension, the image we have created of ourself By giving an excuse, we prevent a potential failure at something

(prevention of the ego) We can get out of a situation without feeling like we are

responsible, because we tell ourselves that something exterior to us is making it impossible for us to reach our goal

The problem is: excuses makes it so that we don’t do things. That way, we let our life be directed by things exterior to us.

When we give excuses, we don’t take RESPONSIBILITY.

Responsibility Taking responsibility of your

actions is the most important factor in empowerment. Taking control over your own life means that you acknowledge that you take decisions and that those decisions have consequences, good or bad.

If you are held accountable for your actions, the n you have control over them.

You have to realize that even choosing not to do anything is a choice: the choice of inertia. It has consequences.

Are things the fault of your past? Circumstances? Other people?

Do you do things because: Of signs? Of your horoscope? Do you think your life is

controlled by some sort of destiny, by a will outside of you, and that you have no say over it?

Do you make excuses for not being able to do something?

Goal-setting

Making a change in your life happens by taking responsibility and by stopping to make excuses. That’s where goal-setting can happen. If I am responsible for my life and

if my decisions have an impact, then I can change.

To change, I need to make myself a goal… and I need to work for it.

Remember SMART? My goal needs to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

What is the last goal you have accomplished? What is your next goal? CALENDARS.

The Color Run

Here is an example of a project that was goal-oriented. The Color Run needed you to: Think of an idea for financing it Make that idea a reality Train for the run Show up to run.

Did you set yourself up to success? If not, why?

Did you make excuses not to do some of these things? Why? Did you believe in your capacity of

change and of action ? There is a sense of

accomplishment that comes with following a goal to the end. “I can do it. What I do matters. I have control over my life.”

The road to the Color Run

Color Run

Color Run

End Goal!

Rewards of empowerment

Empowerment is something that gives many rewards, such as: Self-confidence and self-realization

Believing in your own capacities and power of action Becoming self-sufficient Self-confidence affects all the areas of your life. People are going to

want to be around you more, trust you more, etc. And, more importantly, you won’t need other people’s approval as much to feel competent in what you do.

Getting a sense of accomplishment Feeling like you have control over your life Taking better decisions

And, finally…

Being happier!

In brief

Empowerment is… The process of increasing your capacity to make

choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes.

It comes from your perceptions: am I the master of my destiny, or is it others?

It comes from taking responsibility in your actions and stop giving excuses

It makes you like yourself better and feel like you can do anything

Remember, you can do it!

Now… Get

moving!