Empowered, like a lioness, confidently awaiting her prey
Okay, that may be taking it too far!
After having been through the stages of…
kick-yourself-in-the-ass
shame and despair
mom-on-the-go
optimistic-entrepreneur
(to name a few)
…it seems about time for a new approach.
So, I’ve decided to enter the Empowerment Stage of Life.
The impetus for the change was a situation with my daughter. We needed to determine if there was going to be a consequence for a mistake she made. My husband and I discussed the approaches we could take:
Disciplinary/Punitive
Indulgent
BFF
Permissive
Disengaged
Bill collector (except she has no money)
I finally suggested Empowerment (which I hadn’t even realized was an option until it popped into my brain).
Even though I used to be president of the mean mom’s club, I’m kind of done with the kick-your-ass approach to parenting. I’m ready to enter the Empowerment Stage.
So, I chose to offer my daughter faith in her abilities, along with a small consequence, and thus empower her with my love and trust. (Disclaimer: This may not work for all kids. I have a great daughter—responsible, smart, not entitled, so it works for us).
This whole parental dilemma woke me up a bit. While I offer an empowering and encouraging approach to my children and clients, I’m not so good at it for myself.
So, I’m declaring it here, I’m entering the Empowerment Stage.
What is Empowerment to me?
Lifting myself up rather than putting myself down.
Trusting myself rather than assuming I’m out to get me. (like, right?).
Not worrying about what others think (working on it).
Doing my thing without fear of judgement (even my own).
Helping when I can.
Saying No when I need to, but Yes when I want to.
Being true to me.
In other words, giving myself the love and trust I give my kids.
My next few blogs will begin my Empowerment series. It’s a work in progress—you’ll know when I know.