There are few phrases I despise more than frickin Female Empowerment. It implies that women are by nature powerless, and that someone needs to give us power. Who, exactly is going to do that? And how long are we supposed to wait for it to happen? And what’s to stop whoever did the so-called empowering from turning on their heels and taking that power away?
Just no.
The thing we don’t see is that we already have power. It’s already there, inside us. All we need to do is claim it.
Authentic power isn’t bestowed upon us by external forces. It isn’t a title or a position or a salary or a bank balance. It is definitely not a number on a scale, a year on a birth certificate or a price tag on a handbag. And it sure as hell doesn’t come in the form of a vagina-scented candle, a lady-themed hotel, or a pink Bic pen.
Authentic power is not outside of you.
It’s internal. It arises from within you.
Authentic power is about your values, your purpose and how you choose to fulfill them.
It is the kind of power that comes from a deep understanding of who you are and how you want to interact with the world around you.
An authentically powerful woman is a natural, almost effortless leader. She prioritizes truth over comfort. She sees the world for what it is, not what she wants it to be. She seeks the best answers, not the easiest or most convenient ones.
And guess what? It takes work.
We must assess our limiting patterns of belief and behavior, rediscover our core values and purpose, and then align our goals and actions with them. In other words, it requires you to become expansive.
This work is difficult and uncomfortable. You may discover some things about yourself and your past behavior that you don’t like (I know I certainly have). But you’ll also discover how amazing, unique and talented you are.
And, how truly powerful you are.
In short, you must reclaim your true self. Because you’re enough. Better than enough.
And that’s why you can empower your own damn self.