Feeling Empowered By Empowering Others
By Emily
“One of the greatest things you can do to help others is to not just share and give what you have, but to help them discover what they have within themselves to help themselves.”
Empowerment, by definition, means to help someone become stronger and more confident, especially when it comes to taking control of their life and claiming their rights. Empowering another person is one of the single greatest gifts to give, and it does not cost a dime. You can make a huge difference in someone’s life by simply being a listening ear, providing words of encouragement, or showing that you care. An act of kindness may seem small, but it can make a huge impact.
Here Are 5 Ways To Empower Someone:
1. BE A POSITIVE PERSON
No one enjoys being around a negative-Nancy! The older you get, the more you realize that surrounding yourself with positive people is essential to living a happy and healthy life. It only takes five minutes to turn on the news and notice all of the negativity in the world. Imagine if you could be a light to someone by remaining positive in all situations.
2. CHALLENGE THEM
This may seem like a negative thing at first, but if you truly want to empower someone to reach their potential and take control of their life, you must be willing to challenge them. We all suffer from some form of self-doubt from time to time. We are our own, biggest critic. They may doubt that they are smart enough to get into that school, don’t think they have a good enough voice to try out for choir, or don’t think they will stand out enough to get that dream job. Challenge them and encourage them to step out of their comfort zone, take risks, and take charge!
3. CONNECTION IS KEY
Make an effort to connect with someone. In a society that is constantly focusing on the newest social media network and places your value on the number of followers you have, personal, intimate, and real connection is so important. Reach out to someone that you see sitting alone and foster connection. You never know what someone is going through and you could be the very person to make a difference.
4. GIVE GENUINE COMPLIMENTS
One of my favorite quotes from author, Rupi Kaur, says: “I want to apologize to all of the women that I have called pretty before I’ve called them intelligent or brave. I am sorry I made it sound as though something as simple as what you have been born with is the most you have to be proud of, when your spirit has crushed mountains. From now on I will say things like, you are resilient or you are extraordinary, not because I don’t think you are pretty, but because you are so much more than that”. This not only applies to women, but everyone. Giving genuine compliments goes right along with being a positive person. What a difference you could make in someone’s life when you compliment beyond their physical appearance and focus on their strength, resilience, and good qualities of their personality.
5. BE AN ACTIVE LISTENER
Listening without responding is an amazing quality to have. People will feel empowered by your willingness to listen, and as a response, will open up to you. Being a good active listener is a quality that every good leader should possess.
It starts with one person. Empowering others is an easy gift that can last a lifetime. You will realize that when you empower others, you will learn a lot about who you are. Self-reflection enables you to think about what you can do to empower yourself to take charge of your life, step out of your comfort zone, and reach your goals. When I chose a career in Social Work, I began to learn a lot about myself. Social Work is based off of the idea that everyone has strengths, has a voice, and deserves for their voice to be heard. It is empowering to empower others and powerful to make a change, one person at a time. I am Empowered and Poised when I empower others.
