Empowerment

Oxford Dictionary defines empowerment to be, “The process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one's life and claiming one's rights.” It is a natural tendency for all living beings to act in ways that will produce greater strength. In the animal world, superior strength gives way to dominance that we as humans can perceive as greater confidence amongst the rest of their kind.

For us as humans, actual physical strength isn’t really the focus here, unless your goal is to literally become stronger physically. The strength we aspire to gain can be applied to whichever facets of our lives that require the most out of us, or command the most of our attention. If we are trying to build empowerment in our lives, let us first look how we can build strength in the areas that are important to us.

Strength comes from repetition and gradually adjusting to stimuli that we have not been able to handle before. The principles of progressive overload, utilized in physical training, can be applied similarly to more general areas of where strength can be built. Acknowledging what is new territory for you gives you the opportunity to explore that territory one step at a time, ultimately allowing you to acclimate. The more times we are able to complete a difficult task, the less difficult that task will eventually become.

Confidence is derived in part from the knowledge that we are capable of handling the difficulties that lie ahead, because we have overcome difficulties in the past. By starting with a task that may be difficult, yet not unmanageable, we contribute to the body of evidence that shows us how we do, in fact, have the capacity to handle challenges, boosting our confidence for future situations.

We know we are naturally inclined to want to grow, and be more self-assured that we are capable of growth in the first place. The key to personal empowerment is the culmination of an understanding that struggle allows us to grow stronger, and that newfound strength and confidence are to be directed at gaining control of the lives we lead. Being the most mentally or physically strong, and the most confident person in a room, is meaningless if those attributes don’t contribute to greater control of personal outcomes.

 We all have the right to feel happiness, and security, and free from fear of judgment or persecution. We all have the right to determine the trajectory of our lives, even when it may not feel like that is possibility. We all have the right to aspire for lives that we can take pride in upon reflection. Recognize what areas you would like to build strength in. Recognize what limits your confidence, and what evidence you have to boost it. Take stock of the parts of your life you feel in control of, and the parts you may like to take a firmer reign of. Lastly, examine whether or not you feel your rights as a person are being upheld, and establish what is in your power to claim them for yourself.