In school you learn the lessons, then you take the test. In life you take the test then you learn the lessons. We can’t be great at all the subjects. Sometimes we might need extra support around an area and that’s the smart thing to do!
The secret to living an empowered life is to be able to take in the learnings without allowing them to destroy your self-esteem and confidence.
You might start with loving yourself first.
Then take ownership of your life and begin designing it.
Every. Single. Aspect.
You have what it takes to live an empowered life. We all do!
How To Live An Empowered Life
What you need to live an empowered life is already inside of you. You don’t need to seek external validation to live fiercely and in alignment with your own values and beliefs. Your intuitive nature as a human being simply needs to be unleashed. It’s not that you do not have the talent to live an empowered life, but instead, it’s your willingness to lean into your life.
Here’s how to start living an empowered life today:
1. Live Fiercely
Challenge yourself to live your life to the fullest. Your only real barrier is your self-doubt. When you start taking responsibility, you will begin to see the fear of inadequacy begins to fade with each experience. One of the biggest breakthroughs is to realize that living an empowered life is a benefit to you and the world. Playing small is no way to live, and it requires you to suffocate your innate greatness. You want to fiercely love life and live it with your whole heart.
2. Care Deeply
Care for yourself and then others, in that order. You must begin to work on yourself, creating love and compassion for yourself. When you care for yourself, you will have excess that overflows into other areas in your life. That excess love and compassion will influence how your networks support and care for you. Eventually, living fully and caring will naturally create a more empowered self, as well as a collective of individuals who care immensely about one another.
3. Accept Reality
Loss and betrayal will occur in your life. You may experience some unforgivable acts. To truly accept reality as it is, you must be unwaveringly honest with yourself. Work from the inside out model to learn acceptance. Look at where you’re at now with your life. Where do you want to go? How will you get there? Who can help you get there? Accepting reality gives you the power to change it. It gives you the ability to tell a different story. Within reality, forgiveness and wisdom coexist.
4. Choose Optimism
Have you tried “positive” thinking and found that it’s super tough? Did you know that your thought patterns are habits? It can be a hard truth to bear, but you can change how you think. Just like it takes time and training to have solid abs, it takes time and practice to break mental habits. You can choose whether you view a situation or circumstance through a positive or negative lens. The goal is to choose an optimistic approach to life while accepting those moments in life as positive or negative. Optimism encourages you to find the path toward growth instead of despair. Optimism empowers you to live fiercely with your whole heart.
5. Determine Boundaries
It’s important that you set clear boundaries for yourself and how others interact with you. You absolutely need to know when to say “no.” The word “no” is a complete sentence. You don’t need to explain yourself further or make excuses. It could simply not be your cup of tea or vibe, that’s enough of an explanation. Finally, value your time boundaries. Time is the only non-renewable resource with no substitute. I don’t know about you, but I’m not guaranteed another life, year, or moment. Your courage to say “no” gives you the ability to control that resource.
Who you share your time with either lifts or breaks you. Freud said “before you diagnose yourself with depression, make sure you’re not simply surrounded by assholes” which leads me to my next point. You don’t have to become a jerk to set a boundary. Often times we have that misconception. A boundary is taught at times, it’s like respect. You can set boundaries and be kind. The boundaries you set ultimately determine the design of that empowered life you seek.
“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.”
~ Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
