ho is your idea of the empowered woman? Social activists and feminists like Gloria Steinem who rally against social and cultural injustices to further the advancement of women? Extraordinary and successful women like Oprah Winfrey who teach us how to live our best life - or the barage of strong women who simply stand up for themselves (i.e. having the courage to leave an abusive relationship) everyday of their lives? While those examples are the most common and relatable perception of empowerment, every woman has the potential to harness her own power and strength when she lives a life of mindfulness, discovery and truth. That is self-empowerment.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?..." - Marianne Williamson
Here are 21 Ways to Become a Self-Empowered Woman everyday of your life:
Embrace The Real You and find your own truth - The expectations of culture can leave us denying our authentic selves in order to fit the ideal. Do not live by somebody's else's standards or expectations. Develop your own set of principles or ideals and have the courage to stick to them. When you find your own real rhythmn and dance like nobody's watching, you'll notice people respect you more for daring to be different and real. Be what you are.
Be Your Own Soul Mate - If we are to accept another person wholly into our lives, then we must first know how to be alone with ourselves and how to love ourselves. Make a dinner or movie date for one.
Celebrate your many selves - We are women juggling more roles than ever. It's about honoring yourself, marking your accomplishments, appreciating your talents, believing in your beauty, embracing your strengths as well as your vulnerablity. You are all those things.
Find your voice - and speak out for yourself or for somebody who can't. This great power is within all of us. Many women realize their power and liberation at the first sounding of that voice .
Encourage and uplift other women - We're all in this together. There is strength in numbers and it's a beautiful thing when women honor each other. We can move mountains that way, and someday you may need lifting up.
Try to Live a fearless life - Have the courage to take a risk and realize that fearlessness means doing something new even if you're afraid, the fearlessness is in the doing.
Step outside of your comfort zones and discover yourself in the world. Get a passport, learn a new language, get a library card, and step out of yourself and into the world. Those of us who open ourselves up to experiences bigger than our own little corner of the world gain a wider view of humanity.
Take charge of your finances - A lot of women often leave the money part up to their significant others or fail to plan ahead. Get credit, build it up and don't abuse it. Save for a rainy day. Set up a retirement plan. Being in control of your finances ensures your future.
Take the road less traveled and carve your own path in all that you do. The boldest and most successful women are the ones who didn't
wait to be handed that promotion, they stepped out on their own.
Design the life you want - Complaining about a miserable unhappy life doesn't change anything. You have to make changes. A happy life is yours to have if you decide you want it. When we decide to make joy a priority in our lives, everthing else just seems to fall into place.
Make Committments or Promises to Yourself - By making promises to yourself and keeping them, you learn to trust yourself and your word. When you trust your word, you create a more confident you.
Tend to Your Love Relationships - For women to have a strong support system in family and friends, we must nurture the bonds that hold us up. Make love, family and friends a priority. Find authentic love. Fall madly and passionately in love, and then realize the differecne between fleeting romantic love and the lasting kind that simmers and seasons.
Nuture your Spirit and live from the inside - Meditate, take up yoga, watch the sun as it slips over the edge of the earth, find your sacred place to unwind and regenerate. Every woman needs to feed her soul as without a spiritual base or foundation, all else will eventually come tumbling down.
Love The Skin You're In - Stand naked in front of a full length mirror. Don't groan. Dont' look for flaws. Who's that woman in the mirror staring back at you. Look at her. Own her - little imperfections and all. Accept, honor, love and cherish her.
Know your purpose and discover your passions many times over. There is no use in spending your life doing something that you don't enjoy. Find out what you were meant to be and be passionate about it. Passion is anything that makes you happy. Unleash your creativity, follow your bliss and see what emerges. Your soul will thank you.
Educate yourself - If Knowledge is power, then you should arm yourself by taking classes, reading good books, particpating in good conversations. You will be well-informed to make the right choices, speak out, and maybe even change the world, if you feel so inclined.
Take care of your body - Love it and be kind to it. Don't treat it as a dumping ground for garbage.Nourish it like the beautiful vessel it is by putting healthy foods into it and exercising. It will reduce stress and you'll look and feel better for it.
Be proactive with your health - Listen to your intuition if something doesn't feel right. Know your body. Get regular checks, do regular breast self-exams and mammograms.
Give the gift of service - Volunteer. Mentor. Be generous with your time and self. We are happiest when we forget ourselves and do and give to others. Remember this beautiful quote, "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be touched, they must be given."
Work on your self-esteem - Your self-image is how you see yourself, and too often women criticize and compare themselves to other women. Stop the critcisizing, negative inner dialogue. Remember people see you the way you present yourself, and confident women live from a place deep inside themselves that says, "I am unique, worthy, beautiful and smart." You must believe that you are all those things.
Live your life with honesty, integrity and dignity. - Keep your word to others. Respect Others. Represent these values well and people will respond to you favorably.
Self awareness, truth, purpose and a committment to yourself are the keys to becoming a confident, empowered woman. Once we make this connection that everything in this life - who you are, what you want, what you want to be, how you want people to see you must come from a place of deep awareness - we are on the way to becoming empowered. And if knowledge is power, then self-knowledge must be self-empowerment.
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