Ways We Give Away Our Personal Power

I’ve been reflecting a lot recently about powerlessness. It’s an all too common feeling that can be at the root of chronic stress, self sabotage, indecisiveness and one that goes a long way toward undermining our health and happiness. In fact, there’s an abundance of research that shows that powerlessness is a broad-based risk factor for disease.

I’m referring to personal power which has nothing to do with social status, money or anything material but rather about how we are relating to ourselves. Personal power is deeply connected to our sense of self worth.

Giving away our personal power is a gradual process and usually so subtle that we’re not even aware it’s happening. You don’t wake up one day and decide to invalidate yourself. It happens over time.

At the core, we give away our personal power out of fear. We give away a piece of ourselves in return for the validation from others. It can stem from various factors such as childhood wounding, eroded self confidence or hardship and desperation. It can be deceiving too because it can often feel like the “right” thing to do.

Some ways we consciously and unconsciously give away our personal power:

Letting other people’s opinions define who you are or how you feel about yourself
Constantly putting the needs of others ahead of your own
Having trouble setting boundaries
Tolerating abusive or controlling behavior to keep the peace
Giving in to guilt trips
Suppressing important opinions or feelings because it’s too risky to be heard
Believing suffering is a virtue
Playing victim to your own story
Always waiting for the “perfect” conditions
Believing other people are in control of your life

Whether its due to health problems, difficult relationships, work issues, major life changes or simply because you’re on a personal journey to be the best version of yourself, self empowerment is powerful medicine.

There are so many ways start reclaiming your personal power but they all begin with getting to the core of who you really are.

For me these days, feeling empowered is about Deepening Trust – Self Trust and Trust In the Intelligence of Life itself.

I’m choosing to trust that I have the ability to create the life I want and the resilence to overcome any and all challenges that will inevitably come my way.

I’m choosing to find comfort in the discomfort of standing in my own power and using that as fuel to build a life that is authentically mine.