Self-empowerment is a skill.
And like any other skill, everyone can get better at self-empowerment.
In time and with intentional practice, that is.
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A few years ago, one of my mentees at work asked me:
How come you are so confident?
Reflecting on what to answer, I realized I’m not confident. I’m self-empowered. There is a bit of a difference between the two.
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Confidence is the belief that you can figure things out.
Self-empowerment is confidence in action, plus a few more soft skills that go into it to make it work.
So you may be wondering: I want to empower myself, how do I do it?
Let’s view self-empowerment as a flywheel. It has components that build on each other to create positive momentum. These components, put to best use, provide you with stability and a greater sense of power. The faster you spin the self-empowerment wheel, the better the momentum.
The self-empowerment flywheel
How do you start the self-empowerment flywheel?
You start by showing up. Showing up for yourself and for others. It means you say yes to what’s aligned with your why, your purpose, your values, priorities and goals. It also means you say no to what does not serve you.
So what happens when you show up?
You create an experience that allows you to:
- tap into your skills
- use your critical thinking
- test the way you process your emotions
Note that an experience is a chance to showcase yourself as you are, with good and bad, at the time of the experience.
When you reflect on each experience, you understand your strengths and weaknesses. You also become aware of your thinking patterns and internal beliefs. In other words, experience increases your self-awareness.
As you become more aware of your skills and abilities, your confidence increases. And with heightened confidence, you increase your chances to show up, again and again.
There is one more element that can boost your self-empowerment: self-trust. You trust yourself when deep down inside, you know that you are worthy, that you are enough, that you matter.
When you trust yourself, you develop uplifting and nurturing beliefs. Empowering beliefs about you and the world enable you to stay true to your vision and priorities. Your beliefs are the foundation for consistent, intentional and purposeful action.
Here are two examples to demonstrate how the self-empowerment flywheel works in practice:
Example 1:
Showing up. You volunteer to deliver a presentation during a work team meeting.
Experience. You prepare and sustain a comprehensive presentation.
Self-awareness. You realize you prepared well for the meeting. You were comfortable to answer all questions. You also acknowledge you needed help with some technical setup ahead of the meeting.
Confidence. You value the experience and you’re proud of your presentation. You are confident you can present again in the future.
Self-trust. You trust your abilities to deliver great presentations.
Empowering beliefs. Your voice matters. You can make a positive impact.
Example 2:
Showing up. You say yes to interviewing for a new job.
Experience. You complete the job interview.
Self-awareness. You know you’ve showcased your experience and skills well. You realize you could have asked more questions at the end of the interview.
Confidence. You are comfortable with your career trajectory. You are confident you can grow even further as a professional.
Self-trust. You trust that your work experience and attitude make you a valuable employee.
Empowering belief. You have what it takes to pursue a successful career.
These examples prove that you can apply the self-empowerment flywheel in any situation.
The most important step?
Showing up.
Will you show up today?