Photo by Matt Botsford on Unsplash
The Ottoman of Official Empowerment
Empowerment comes in endless forms. For instance, one form is found inside my ottoman. Its beautiful brown legs balance an empty journal and goddess affirmation deck in the belly of the fabric. The purple cloth across the top makes it look official and important. The ritual of sitting and empowering myself with a journal and cards is exciting.
The only problem is, to make empowerment “official” is too overwhelming for me to think about. It reminds me of when I put pressure on myself to do a lovingkindness meditation. I don’t need to emphasize the atmosphere with objects to create significant actions for empowerment. My presence, actions and awareness matter most. Too much thinking about intention can be counterintuitive.
Five Significant Actions for Empowerment
Instead of thinking, I start observing. I start observing the small, yet significant actions that I take to empower myself:
I Peel Those Sweet Potatoes:
One hand is weaker than the other and doesn’t grasp things as well, so when I prepare vegetables that I don’t eat on a regular basis, I re-learn how to hold what in which hand. This feels embarrassing and shameful. But I keep maneuvering until I find the way my strength works. This is an example of how there’s no “perfect” empowerment, there’s creative empowerment. And self-discovery each time.
I Explore the Pen and French Toast:
Speaking of creative empowerment, writing is a go-to for me. As I mentioned earlier, a journal is hardly needed. I once aimed for a personal blog post to center around not having an “official” writing schedule, but somewhere in there, I ended up connecting writing with French toast. It was random, hysterical, and in the end, made all the sense in the world. Because I gave myself permission to play and explore, I created such an empowering twenty minutes and made connections that wouldn’t have been made had I not gone with the flow.
I Dance with My Eyes Closed:
Another way to go with the flow is to physically move. Movement therapist Christine Caldwell believes physically moving empowers us. I often explore dancing with my eyes closed to heighten my intuition. Exploring textures and kinesthetic space helps me to gain self-esteem and confidence. The pads of my fingers and my limbs reinforce spatial awareness when coming into contact with furniture or a strand of hair from a spider plant.
I speak Up About Invoices and Jewelry:
Mental and physical movement forward are necessary for empowerment, but so is vocalization. When work is being performed on my house (from doors to HVAC), I do research and ask questions about the project(s) at hand. I also speak up about mistakes on invoices. As many businesses and services are run by men, I’m sure to be my own advocate so I don’t get taken advantage of. It is worth noting here that I’ve met fellow women in retail shops who try to sway me out of purchases.
I’ve wondered if wearing a sweatshirt with my hair up comes with the assumption that I can’t afford a necklace for my mother. But I stay grounded in what I know I want and what needs to be corrected. At the end of the day, money is being used for my home and my family. It is another form of power and we need to be considerate of the exchange and not settle for being taken advantage of.
I Listen to Other Women:
The words “be your own advocate” came from my mother and one of the most empowering things we can do is listen to other women. Age, looks, status, and sometimes even experience don’t matter.
Listening to a story of a female teenager can be just as empowering and educational to an older adult as listening to a parent or older sibling because differences are empowering. Respecting other women enough to act on their words not only empowers us but empowers them.
The Significant Message Behind Empowerment
This article focuses on women being empowered but any of the above actions/philosophies can pertain to men as well. Remember, empowerment comes in endless forms, like bodies — and differences are empowering! It’s about gaining self-esteem. Sometimes before we can enjoy our ottoman, we need to enjoy the extraordinary moments that are born of the mundane moments in our voices and movements.
