Empowerment

Hello again,

In preparation for our Personal Empowerment workshop next week, I find myself wanting to share on the topic of our inherited traits of empowerment & oppression because we are not born in isolation or individuality. We arise from a cultural & ancestral heritage, a lineage which holds many explanations & much understanding of our path to empowerment.

“Empowerment: the state of being empowered to do something : the power, right, or authority to do something”

A Merriam-Webster definition

When we ask ourselves who we see when we think of an empowered person, what comes to mind? Do we see iconic figures of heroism or deity? Do we see our parents? Do we see the educated one? Do we see government officials? Do we see protesters? Do we see the tidy-towns volunteer? Do we see community leaders or do we see the single mother next door who does the very best for her family? You see, our internal reference will dictate how we perceive empowerment & this has not just originated in our lifetime but in what has been passed down to us from those who have come before us.

For example, my Irish history tells stories of oppression & famine but also revolution & freedom. My cultural history speaks of the land & it’s owners as provider but also deserter, abandoning the people in their time of need. My ancestry speaks of loss yet also survival. With survival comes another tale of survivor guilt & the destructive habits that can come with this but also a channeling of these pains into creative stories, art, music & dance.

You see for every toss of the coin there are two sides of the tale & this is how we can come to understand our personal narrative & how we can lean into our own story of empowerment & the choices it can bring.

To make it more personal, let us consider ourselves within the narrative. If we visualise ourselves as empowered individuals, how do we see ourselves? What does that look like & does that picture hang straight for us? Is it too jarring to consider that we too have the power, right or authority to be who we are here to be? What feels off about that picture? What feels good about it? Let’s notice & understand ourselves as we play with the notion of being this empowered individual.

So today, my challenge to you is to consider your own family, cultural & historical narrative & establish the strengths & vulnerabilities of that story? Allow yourself to become narrator & create an empowered chapter for your time in history. Give yourself the authority to wonder & envision. You do not need to see how the whole story unfolds, the most important thing you need is a willingness to step into one empowered choice.

What would that look like for you today?

If you would like to explore the topic further with me, click on the link below to book your place on our Personal Empowerment online workshop.

Best wishes,

Vivianne.