When you think of choices, what comes to mind? Decisions like what to wear, what to eat or perhaps even what to do this weekend? These are all valid choices but I wonder how many of us have been neglecting some very important choices in our lives. I'm talking about choices that affect your life. Choices that you may make yourself, or heaven forbid, allow someone else to make for you!
What! You may think, I don't allow other people to make decisions for me! It's true, however, that many of us don't realize how many of our own choices for empowerment we just toss by the wayside and allow others to have control. Whose life is it anyway? Are other people living your life for you? Who will have to live with the consequences? They won't!
What I simply am suggesting is that you become more conscious of how you make decisions and choices.
Do you make decisions with confidence? With unwavering trust in your own wisdom and competence? Do you ask others for their input before deciding? Do you ask others on a regular basis before coming to a final decision for yourself?
If you find that you are constantly looking for validation for sources outside of yourself, ask yourself why. What is the motivation behind asking for someone else's input before a decision? I am not saying this isn't a good thing at certain times, but if it is done on a regular basis, then the reasons behind it are worth exploring, so that you can begin to trust yourself wrong and put your power back in your own hands.
If you find that you are basing many of your choices on what others think, then do the decisions represent the values that you want to embody for yourself? In other words, is it the choice you would have made anyway, or was your mind swayed by the responses you received from outside sources?
If you find that you are unable to make your own decisions, then realize that you don't trust or value your own opinion as much as you do that of others. Allow me to now remind you that you are a valuable, worthwhile human being. Your opinions are just as valid as anyone else's. And, when a decision or choice affects your life, then your opinion becomes that much more valuable. Why disempower yourself by handing over a decision that is important to you and affects your life-to someone else? When you do that you are literally handing away your power.
If you question the fact that you are powerful, take a moment to remember that we all have the ability to make choices. This ability can never be taken away. Choice=power!
Your power of choice cannot be taken from you, you can, however, hand it over to someone else if you are not making your choices with faith and trust in your own wisdom and knowing. Again, handing this power over is a choice. You can choose to stand in your own power majestically, or, you can hand it over to someone else. Which will you choose?
When you make a choice or a decision, ask yourself- "Am I empowering myself or disempowering myself?" "Am I giving my power away?" "Who will this decision ultimately affect?"
Empowerment is power on the inside. Call up your inner power and use it!
Some points to remember:
1. One of the most disempowering choices we can make is valuing the opinions of others above our own. When we do this, we are forfeiting our own power of choice.
2. Think about why you have made the choices you have made in the past, or are making now. What has influenced you? Are you being true to yourself in those choices?
3. Remember to make conscious choices! When you are conscious of the things you are choosing for yourself, you will be focus and clear, leading to some very empowered choices!
4. Don't allow yourself to be programmed to believe that you don't have the power to choose what you want in your life, because you do!