Let’s face it, if you’re going to get ahead in life it is vitally important that you learn how to curate self empowerment which will go a long way in boosting your confidence. Boosted self confidence is the fuel that can cause you to be a go getter and turn your situation around.

What Is Self Empowerment

Self empowerment simply means that you are in control of your life. Common sense tells us that there are many things that are completely out of our control.  (That’s not what this article is about.) True self empowerment focuses on those things that are within our control. It has to do with taking charge of our life by setting realistic goals, making positive choices and ultimately realizing your potential.

Here are a few strategies to help you curate self empowerment and thereby boost your confidence:

Practice Self Awareness:

According to psychologist and author Sherrie Campbell:

“Self-awareness is the ability to monitor one’s own emotions and reactions.”

Self awareness is about having the ability to look straight in the mirror, and understanding and owning who you really are. A self aware person is well acquainted with their strengths and weaknesses. To curate your self determination it’s critical that you basically know who you are and continue to grow in the knowledge of yourself. Take the time to study yourself so that you don’t make the crucial mistake of being unaware of or undervaluing what you bring to the table. 

Be genuine: 

Be genuinely nice and interested in people. No one likes a phony and while there are many external reasons for this, the real damage is done to the perpetrator. If you struggle with being genuine, do the inner work that’s necessary to overcome this. In the end, you will become a stronger and more empowered person. The upsurge in integrity will go a long way in your quest for self empowerment by reinforcing your character and resulting in a much deeper self respect.

Let Go of the Past:

We have heard about letting go of the past a million times, yet when times get a little rough, we back track track to shoulda, woulda coulda. I’m probably the guiltiest amongst us. I know better, yet when times get questionable. I can start asking the wrong questions. Let’s draw a line in the sand, today, and make the self empowering decision to let go off our past failures and successes and move forward into our exciting future.

Don’t Obsess About the Future:

Obsessing about the future typically goes hand in hand with regrets about the past. Just like the past, we are not in total control of the future. What we can control is the present…the now if you will.  By letting go of the past, planning for the future and taking action in the present, we are curating self empowerment. 

Laugh out Loud: 

As we embark on this journey of curating self empowerment, let’s not forget our sense of humor. In other words, don’t make the mistake of taking yourself too seriously. Learn to laugh out loud, even at yourself at times.  According to recent studies, laughter has both physical and mental health benefits. Some of the physical benefits include: reduced stress, burns calories, decreases pain, stronger immune system, reduced anger, increased cardiovascular health, lowered blood pressure and more. Some of the mental benefits include: reduced anxiety and negative emotions, improves mood, strengthens resilience and more. Laughter can actually help you shift your mental perspective, by helping you to see circumstances in a more positive light. When you view negative circumstances in a positive light , it can decrease your sense of overwhelm and diminish conflict. As a result, you can become more self-empowered and see solutions that were previously shrouded by clouds.  When you feel better, both physically and mentally, you become more empowered as a person. As a bonus, a person with an overwhelming sense of humor can attract positive people and eventually, attract more success. So smile, because no one likes a sour puss. 🙂

Don’t Forget to Love Yourself:

Remember to love and value yourself before anyone else. I’m not suggesting that you become a narcissist. But a healthy sense of love and admiration can go a long way in empowering one’s self.  If you deem yourself decent and worthy of love, people will flock to you and not trample on you. Self loathing either repels people or causes them to treat you like a doormat. 

Develop your personality:

It’s funny how we never think about developing our personality. According to the dictionary: Personality is defined as: the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character. The uncommon truth is that you can actually work to improve your personality as seek to curate self empowerment. In other words, you can change! You can start by taking a self awareness assessment of your existing personality and start getting rid of the appalling traits and habits that continually get in the way of your growth. They don’t serve you or anyone else for that matter. So step up to the plate and do the work that’s required to really change. If you encounter countless “blind spots” talk to someone who is skilled in this area. It will be well worth it. As a matter of fact, you are well worth it!

Keep nurturing your closest relationships: 

Relationships go a long way in making or breaking us. Take an inventory of those relationships closest to you and evaluate them. As you wake up to those around you, you may find that you may have to distance yourself from some and nurture others. Nurture these relationships by going out and intentionally having fun with them. Do cool things together. Happiness will never be too far away as long as the people who matter the most are close to you. Don’t take these relationships for granted. People have a unique way of empowering one another. This is slightly different from being socially empowered which also has merit. But simply because of the nature of the  intimacy of these close relationships they can go an even longer way to empower you.

In the end, it may be challenging to determine which came first the chicken or the egg, when it comes to self-empowerment and boosted confidence. But what we do know is that the two work synergistically to create a more improved, resilient, self aware, endearing version of yourself. 

As you embark on your personal journey of curating your self empowerment and boosting your confidence, remember your uniqueness by picking and choosing those strategies that work best for you. And as always, go out there and BE AWESOME!

Be well + prosper,

Elaine