Self-empowerment, a transformative process that hinges on your active participation, is the key to unlocking your true potential. In this concise audio clip, I’ll illuminate a pivotal step in this journey.
Many of us develop habits and patterns that do not foster self-empowerment.
The good news is that habits and patterns can be changed.
They are not character flaws, personality traits, or long-term issues.
One way we can undermine our self-empowerment is by downplaying the positive things we do.
Instead, consider these empowerment strategies.
Accentuate the Positive
For instance, let’s say a task that’s been on your to-do list for some time is completing a database. You’ve finally taken the first step by laying out the structure and adding your first entry. When a friend asks you about your progress, you respond by saying that you finished one entry but then emphasize that you didn’t get it ALL done.
Or maybe you made a few calls but haven’t heard back from any of them yet, and you emphasize the fact that no one has responded to your calls.
Now, let’s take a look at a different scenario for each of these situations:
In the first one, when your friend asks about your progress on the database, you enthusiastically respond that you are proud of yourself for laying out the structure and adding your first entry. Now, you are two steps closer to finishing the project.
In the second instance, you acknowledge that you have made the effort to make three phone calls. You could even add that you are looking forward to hearing back from them when they can respond.
Do you see the difference?
The idea is to celebrate and embrace the victory and drop the qualification that negates the positive action you have taken.
Enter: The Observer Self
You notice habits and patterns like this that do not cultivate self-empowerment through what I call your observer self.
There is a part of you that is in the action of your life—doing the things you do, speaking, thinking, etc., while another part is observing it all. It’s like a mini-you sitting on your shoulder, observing your actions with a bigger-picture perspective. The key to this observer self is that there is no judgment and no trying to add guilt, shame, or opinion about what you notice. It’s strictly an observer. This is the wise version of you.
When you notice that you are saying or doing things that are not self-empowering, the observer self gets curious rather than criticizing or shaking a chastising finger.
This allows you the space to change your self-defeating habits and patterns rather than beating yourself up for them.
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