Power comes in so many forms. Sometimes you see power in a physical sense, at the gym. Sometimes you see power in entrepreneurs and business women. This is all true but for me, the times when I have felt the most powerful are when I speak up for myself and when I own my journey and path in life.
Today I’m sharing 8 ways to own your power. I hope you use this as a guideline to start owning the power we are all capable of.
Stop apologizing
Saying sorry and apologizing immediately diminishes the power you possess. This coming from someone who can be an over-apologizer. I’m getting much better at it but I still find myself sometimes saying sorry for things even if it’s not necessary. It has been a default response to a lot of situations that have come up in my life. However, I’ve found so much strength in understanding that there are few legitimate reasons that deserve an apology. Before you apologize, ask yourself – did you really do something to warrant an apology? Also, can you reframe the conversation to saying ‘thank you’ instead? The ‘Sorry for being late’ could be revised into saying ‘Thank you for waiting’. It’s a subtle, yet powerful, difference. By saying ‘sorry’ there is a tendency to say it more than once for the same situation. However, ‘Thank you for waiting’ is firm, to the point, and more complimentary toward the other party.
Accept compliments
Have you been told ‘You look great!’ only for you to follow that up with a response like ‘Oh really?’ as if in disbelief. When someone pays you a compliment, accept it and believe that what the other person is saying is the truth. They see your beauty and power. By you questioning it, it diminishes their words and yourself. Other people don’t owe you anything to give you that compliment. They say it because they mean it. You just need to make sure to see it and accept it too.
Surround yourself with power
Having friendships or connections to others who are powerful and confident will immediately rub off on you. There have been many situations where I’ve walked into a room and I’ve questioned myself. However, after having a conversation or spending time with someone who owns their confidence and power, I’ve in turn, walked away from that experience feeling like I’ve grown. The more you spend time with others that own their power, the more that energy will rub off on you.
Speak up
Have you been in a classroom setting or a work meeting where you didn’t speak up and ask that question or voice your opinion? That’s happened to me before in school and in work. I’ve walked out of meetings where I’m like ‘I wish I said that point!’. Own your opinions and views in whatever situation you are in. Not everyone will agree with you but at least you have a point of view and there’s so much power in that!
Practice Saying No
Power doesn’t just come from saying yes to all things, being busy, and multi-tasking. There is power in saying no, slowing down, and being mindful with where you choose to spend your time and energy.
Create a self-care routine
Carving out time for your needs is so important to re-energizing your soul. Everyone needs time to refuel, whether that means you fit in a work out, you stay in, you get a massage – whatever self-care looks like to you – practice it once daily if you can. Your personal power is something you need to cultivate over time through ME time. There are 100 self care tips here to give you a sense of what self care can look like in your life.
Nourish your body
When I have felt stressed or out of control of my own emotional state, I have turned to food to help comfort me. Mindlessly eating foods that don’t replenish my energy, but rather take away from my energy. Create healthy food habits with this tracker so you can be aware of how food makes you feel. Be intentional with not just your time but with what goes into your body.
Have an abundance mindset
Mindset affects how we treat ourselves and also how our body feels. This is a personal one that I have to revisit regularly. It’s so easy to say you don’t have enough of something but all that makes you is a nay-sayer in your own journey. Repeating positive mantras to yourself saying, “I have all that I need,” “I have many talents that have made me successful” changes the conversation in your head and you’ll be able to fixate how to grow your life as opposed to working from a place of scarcity.
Do you have any tips or guidelines on how to own your power?
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