Self-Empowerment & Happiness

Sharon Moore November 03, 2015

Self-empowerment. It is such a big word. And for many of us, it is but an elusive dream. Many things can hurt our self-belief and make us feel less empowered. Think about your failures, disappointments, and all the painful moments of the past. Many people spend the rest of their life trying to move away from these bitter things and were never successful.

Self-empowerment is the ability to derive strength from within to pursue your goals and ambitions. It is the ability to keep the flame burning inside and remain hopeful and optimistic about life despite all what a person has gone through.

As we grow older, we all face all sorts of challenges, some of them are really hard to deal with. But if we are self-empowered, there is no mountain we cannot climb, or river we cannot cross.

If you feel like you have lost your belief in yourself, don’t frown. The truth is most people are having the same problem with you. Most of us have lost their drive to move forward and pursue their goals, and have lost the motivation to seek a better and happier life.

But know that it isn’t too late. The good news is that there is something you can do to restore your self-confidence and empower yourself. We have some great advice for you.

Accept the fact that life isn’t perfect. Let’s face it. Awful stuff happens. And they happen every time. The first and most important thing that we should realise is the fact that life isn’t a fairy tale. By doing so, you develop a more peaceful state of mind. There are some things that you may not like, but tell yourself that you accept that they are the reality. It would be easier to move on from failures and disappointments when we accept the good and bad aspects of our life.

Perceive challenges as opportunities for growth. Once you’ve mastered tip number one. This second advice becomes easier. Instead of seeing challenges as ‘burdens’ or as a ‘curse’, look at them as opportunities for growth. By turning negative situations into positive ones, you will avoid resorting to negative behaviours as a way to cope. It may be difficult but being able to focus on the good side is really self-empowering.

Think more positively. It is hard to empower yourself when you are bombarded with negative thoughts. One of the key steps to achieving self-empowerment is changing the way you view and think about things. Start by monitoring your thoughts. How often do you think about negative things? How often do you doubt yourself and worry about the future? As you become more aware of your thinking patterns, you will be in a better position to turn them into ‘positives’. And once you learn to see the glass half full, you will realise how confident and happier you’d feel.

Be open for change. Change can stir unwanted emotions such as fear and anxiety. But change can also be exciting and positive. It can pave way to a new way of living, better opportunities, and more happiness! Even though it is difficult, sometimes, change is necessary.

Be more flexible. Mishaps can happen from time to time. Sometimes, things don’t turn out as smoothly as we have hoped for. And it is something that’s way beyond our control. What we can do is to adopt a more flexible attitude. Being flexible means you can face everyday challenges without getting too stressed. When something didn’t work out, instead of feeling overwhelmed and stressed you consider other ideas to make it work. Flexibility allows you to be more creative and ups your chances of success.

Believe you’re good enough. It is hard to feel self-empowered when you always belittle yourself, or when you don’t appreciate your skills and talents. You may not be the best in your line of work, but believe that you are good enough. Tell yourself that you can handle anything that’s thrown on you. Because if you ever want to win in any battle, you should start by believing in yourself first.

Take time off. Don’t be a slave to your work. It is hard to feel empowered when there is imbalance in your work and personal life. Take a break. Go on a vacation. Meet new people. Appreciate a different place. Know a different culture. You will be surprised how a simple act of taking a break can make you feel empowered, happier and ready to face another bout of challenges once more!

Have your daily dose of joy and laughter. Stop being too serious. No matter how old you are, give time for play and relaxation. Let your ‘inner child’ experience delight and happiness each day by doing things you really love and enjoy. This helps you stay positive and focused, and move forward with courage and excitement.

Invest on social relationship. Give your friends and family quality time. Life will never be happier without them. You will appreciate their support. They can give you aid and comfort even during the most difficult time in your life.

Start now. It is never too late to make a fresh new start. You may be feeling less confident and discouraged at this very moment. But don’t let the negative emotions take control of you. By considering these tips and suggestions, you will realise that self-empowerment and happiness are just are just around the corner.