Protecting Your Personal Power
By Beth Burns
I've had a number of conversations recently about personal power. I define
personal power as: stepping into the full glory of who you are and honouring
that sacred part of yourself with integrity and truth. Doesn't that sound
nice? Well, actually, it is exactly what personal power is all about. It's
about being comfortable with who you are and the gifts you have been given.
It's about trusting that WHO you are is plenty and WHAT you do is secondary.
It's not so much about STRIVING but rather THRIVING each day, right where you
are.
But who among us is in that powerful position? Very few. Like most folks
with whom I talk, we all want to be in that place of being totally comfortable
with whom we are, yet we often get in our own way in the process. Cheryl
Richardson, author of “Stand Up for your Life”, points out that we limit our
personal power through our thoughts, actions and words.
Consider some of the ways you might be hiding yourself from the world:
1. Multitasking: You are drained. You are multitasking, doing far
too many things at one time. Your attention is scattered and as such, you
don't do any one thing to the best of your ability. Sound familiar? Well, stop
that! :-) There is incredible power (and peace!) in learning to focus on one
thing and do it to the best of your ability before moving on to another task.
2. People Pleasing: Bill Cosby, the wise and wonderful comedian
says, "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to
please everybody." Multitasking and people pleasing go hand in hand -- they
are like syphons in your energy tank. Keep your integrity in tact and be happy
with YOU before attempting to please anyone else.
3. A Cluttered Mind: Consider the billions of thoughts that go into
your mind each day, both consciously and subconsciously. What are they all
doing there? Who needs all that information? Think about your mind as
something that regularly needs tending to and clear out the clutter, much like
you would clean up a closet. Let go of what you don't need and information
that no longer "fits" you. Reduce your "toxic mental waste" by taking time for
yourself and embrace silence -- it's one of the best friends you can ever
have.
4. Believing you have limitations. Simply put, you DO NOT have
limitations! They are only perceptions. Granted, we all have challenges, but
not limitations. Remember: your thoughts determine the course of your life and
the sum of your decisions determines the quality of your life. Put good
thoughts out into the Universe and into conversations. Watch them come back to
bless you. Learning to be positive is something you can learn -- watch your
language to both yourself and others. It's a critical part of claiming your
personal power.
5. Letting fear rule your life. The truth is, we all have fear. But
what does it cost you? What are you missing out on because you are scared?
What kind of marvellous experiences could you have in your life if only you
weren't fearful? Fear has its place in the world and that is to protect us,
but it sure isn't meant to limit us. Think about what it is that you are
fearful of -- write it down and then really meditate and consider if this fear
is showing up to protect you or is it merely limiting you? If it is the
latter, you can change the direction of your life by being BOLD and facing it.
Become aware of the ways you limit your power. Just being aware will change
your thought process. You are meant to be a powerful individual with a
definite purpose! In order to live your BEST life, you must step up and claim
what it already there waiting for you -- your personal power!
About the author: Beth Burns is a Professional Life Coach -- partnering with
motivated people on their personal and professional goals. Her mission is to
teach people to love themselves and to love the life they create. She offers
two free email newsletters and can be visited on the web at
www.BrightSideCoaching.com She can also be reached by email at
Beth@BrightSideCoaching.com
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