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Are you choosing
it? Here is a working definition of empowerment:
Doing something that serves the highest for yourself or others
when it is easier or habitual to follow unhealthy or unfulfilling
patterns of behavior. There is a line of tension between comfort
and discomfort, a line of tension between doing something familiar
or compelling to serve an unexamined or unhealthy situation
or pattern in one’s life and making a conscious choice
to serve a higher goal. Even if one doesn’t change a behavior,
there can be an acceptance and decision to choose to do it instead
of being victim to it. These are places where we can meet “empowerment”.
Say, "YES!"
to yourself. When we step over that line
and choose something supporting health and well-being, when
we say “yes” to the expression of our greatest potential,
we feel empowered. Making a decision to take a chance and step
over that line of safe familiarity toward something that could
lead to self-discovery and challenge toward greaters goals is
a "threshold" opportunity.
"Stretch"
over that threshold! This threshold
experience is personal and universal. It could be something
as private as writing in a journal or as public as singing in
the local church. A threshold is the place where we meet our
greatest inspiration and our deepest fears. And though our little
private victories and bravery are completely valid and meaningful,
there is something magical or almost epic about being witnessed
by others who also deeply know the courage it takes to step
out of our comfort zone over that almost imperceptible line.
An attitude of learning:
Empowerment is freedom to choose something different. It doesn’t
mean we always choose the “right” thing if we choose
with an attitude of learning. We are free to choose the “wrong”
thing, but we feel empowered when we know we are free to make
that choice and we can choose to learn from it. We find peace
when we freely choose what serves our personal highest in attunement
with what’s highest for the community and the planet.
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