You’ve got the Power!

John is shy. He sits quietly at the back of the class and hardly ever interacts with his classmates. His self-confidence is low, leaving him feeling powerless. John’s marks aren’t what they should be, even though he is smart. If you, like John, need to take control, to step up and show the world that you are worthy, you’ll be excited to know that there are steps that you can take to feel more empowered.

What is empowerment?

You are empowered if you are in control, confident and positive. You are in charge of your life, getting things done and building a good reputation for yourself. The opposite of empowerment is having no control. No one wants to live life with no control. It is debilitating and may even cause you to miss out on what your true calling in life is. Don’t waste another minute in that negative frame of mind. Use these 11 tips to take back control and blossom into someone you can be proud of!

Tips to empower yourself

• Tip 1 – Take regular time-outs: set aside a few minutes a day to check in with yourself. How are you feeling? Are you in a positive frame of mind? Are you doing all your homework on time? If not, why? Put a strategy in place to make sure you get your work done on time. This on its own will help you feel more positive and in control.
• Tip 2 – Plan your life more efficiently: you will feel more empowered if you list your goals and then keep track of how you are going to achieve your goals. Remember to celebrate your wins – even the small ones – it will give you the energy to achieve the rest of your goals.
• Tip 3 – Stick to your word: walk your talk. Your confidence will grow and people around you will respect you more if you always honour your word.
• Tip 4 – Don’t be unrealistic: don’t expect too much from yourself or compare yourself to others. You need to set realistic goals so that they are actually achievable. If you set unrealistic you will only feel powerless and despondent.
• Tip 5 – Don’t be scared to ask for help: don’t suffer in silence. It takes more courage to ask for help than to battle through something alone. There are always people you can turn to for help. Be real, be vulnerable and be honest with yourself.
• Tip 6 – Take care of your physical self: eat healthy food, get proper sleep and exercise so that your physical self is always in good shape. This helps build your confidence. It’s good to feel good about yourself.
• Tip 7 – Read as much as you can: reading will expand your mind, giving you a more comprehensive view of the world. As they say, knowledge is power and reading definitely empowers!
• Tip 8 – Develop your self-awareness: self-awareness and self-empowerment go hand in hand. You can’t feel empowered if you don’t know who you are, what you want to achieve in life and what makes you tick. Get to know yourself!
• Tip 9 – Choose your friends wisely: the people that you hang out with will have an influence on your choices and ultimately your success. Choose to spend time with people who are empowered and positive, people who build you up and bring out the best in you.
• Tip 10 – Help someone in your community: doing a good deed will make you feel good about yourself. Even if it is just one small deed a day like carrying an elderly person’s groceries for them or offering your comfortable seat in the taxi for someone who is older than you. Even a kind word can completely change someone’s day.
• Tip 11 – Play your part in making the world a better place to live in: actively do something to leave your environment in better shape than you found it in. It could be something as simple as putting a piece of litter in the dustbin. Can you imagine how clean our beautiful country would be if everyone picked up one piece of trash every day. It will also make you feel good because you are making a difference – even if it is just in a small way.