Talking with a dear friend and colleague the other day, our conversation turned to empowerment. Just what was this thing? We can point to a creative and focused person in our midst, someone who has it all going on, and might say ‘Oh, there is an empowered person’. Okay, assertive, having access to resources, yes, but from where does this come? People have all different gifts and needs, so the manifestations of empowerment are many. What is it feel like to be empowered then, where does it spring from?
To be truly empowered is to be connected – to YOURSELF, to who you are and what you really want. Empowerment is essentially and inside-out job. It arises from a belief in one’s own value and capacity, and a trust in a friendly universe. To be empowered is to say yes to Life, and to Yourself, to know that life is flowing and fulfilling itself through you. How do we cultivate that?
As a teacher and a mentor, my intention is to facilitate the empowerment of my students and clients. This is where practice comes in. To find that wellspring of truth and ‘fire’ that is our personal power, we must learn to listen to our heart….and then to trust what we hear and have the courage to act on that knowing. These skills of listening and courage are like muscles – they get stronger the more we use them. The inner focus of meditation strengthens these skills in so very many ways – it is the inroad to voice of our heart, and that is where the true empowerment begins.