Hey, I’ve got some good news for you. You are powerful.
Sometimes it feels odd to acknowledge it and what do you do with power anyway – join the Marvel universe?
Power can seem like a scary concept, but we all have elements of positive power that can help us to move forward in our personal and professional lives.
And power doesn’t have to be gifted to you, you can generate it from within yourself and in whatever context you find yourself in.
You’re forgiven for thinking that the more ‘powerful’ your role is, for example, a CEO, the more powerful you are. Not necessarily, people will assume your power but if you don’t own it then you won’t be truly successful.
Owning power helps you to make good, authentic decisions. You’ll feel more confident and people will be drawn to you.
How can you define and own your power?
What’s your Ambition?
We all have ambition, but being bold about your ambition is another thing. Lots of people struggle with ambition. Ambition can be awkward. Telling people what you want out of life can be frightening because what if you don’t achieve it? By telling people about it, they’ll hold you accountable for your ambition.
When you don’t declare your ambition to anyone and keep it a secret, you’re keeping your ambition small and hidden. It probably won’t grow, because you’re reducing its power.
Telling friends or family about what you want from life doesn’t mean they’ll be monitoring your progress in minute detail – it usually means that they’ll support you on your journey.
One of the first ways to define and own your power is to determine what goals it’s going to propel you towards. Seek out mentors and a supportive network to talk to about your ambitions, the moment you do, you’ll give your ambitions more power.
Positive Thinking
When you’re talking yourself down, you’re giving negative thoughts your power. Sometimes, you don’t notice how much negative thinking you do during an average day – when it’s ingrained in your perspective and way of looking at the world, it can be tough to shake off.
By making a conscious decision to replace your negative thoughts with positive or neutral thinking, you can start to reprogram your mind. Negativity can sabotage your power because it stops you from doing things that help you to achieve your ambitions and feel more powerful. You might not take action because of it. Don’t limit yourself.
Add Value
Owning your power is all about how you use it around others too. Becoming a mentor or supporter for others can help you to encourage others on their own positive journey.
You can do this by noting down and recognizing the value that you bring in a company or at home. What are you good at? Next, you can use your value to lead others and contribute.
By promoting and supporting others around you, you’ll build meaningful relationships which are a form of power. Being powerful can be through positive communication and advocating for others.
In the long-term, this will help you to build a mutually beneficial support network where you can champion each other.
Vulnerability is Strength
Being ‘powerful’ conjures up images of weightlifting and flipping cars over, but it’s not about physical strength. It’s not even about being mentally strong and positive all the time.
Vulnerability is power. Recognizing when you’re not performing at your best or you’re having a bad day and reaching out to people or accepting your situation is powerful.
You don’t have to maintain the persona that everything is great all the time. Asking for help isn’t a weakness. Truly powerful people aren’t afraid to acknowledge their shortcomings or things they can’t do and need a helping hand with. And the same goes for acknowledging fears too.
Share your Ideas
Speaking out and sharing ideas is one of the best ways to own your power. As well as positive feedback, an equally important process is your ability to receive constructive criticism and build on it. Opening yourself up to feedback by sharing ideas with as many people as possible is a valuable lesson.
Start to challenge yourself in small ways – perhaps there’s a person at work you feel timid around or a meeting with others where you’d usually stay quiet. Try to speak up more and gradually it should start to feel less scary and more natural.
Own your power by recognizing that your ideas and opinions are as valid as other peoples. Heck, the world needs to know what you have to say, not just on Twitter, but in real conversation.
When you’re confident about sharing, you’ll get the same back – people will start to gravitate towards you and share their own.
Prioritize Growth
Adopting a growth mindset and continually looking for and seeking out opportunities that can lead to personal and professional growth can help to build your confidence and naturally feel more powerful.
Grasping opportunities can feel daunting, but whether they have positive or negative consequences, you will grow from them as a result. The process of getting out of your comfort zone and opening yourself up to vulnerability is a powerful act.
Search for ways to grow.
Final Thoughts
Power isn’t about physical macho strength, it’s about using your unique qualities to share ideas, build connections and become your own personal cheerleader. Owning your power and acknowledging your ambition will help you to move forward.
