What Does Personal Power Even Mean?
What does “personal power” even mean?
As a little girl, I was obsessed with She-Ra, Princess of Power. She was badass! She was strong, had shimmering golden arm cuffs, and a sharp sword that she wasn't afraid to use. I didn't know what power meant at four years old but I knew she had it and I wanted to be just like her.
Now, about 35 years later, I've been studying a lot about what personal power means. If you're acquainted with self-development and personal growth lingo then you've probably heard people talking about "stepping into your power" or "taking your power back." But what does personal power actually mean?
To understand what your power is let's talk a little bit about what it is not.
Many of our clients come to us seeking the key to their problem of unwanted weight, GI issues, being tired all the time, and just generally feeling blah to the point where they need help. They've googled, read books, tried every diet or health trend and they can't seem to find the answers. Why hasn't celery juice solved it all? Why did keto work last year but now you can't get the same results?
This seeking for "the perfect answer" is an example of giving your power away to the solution. If only you can just follow the right rules for the right amount of time you would do it, or so you think. But after following all the plans and programs you're still not happy, still not feeling good in your body. So what's missing?
It's NOT the perfect diet. It's your power.
Your power is:
Learning how to think for yourself
Understanding your emotions and allowing them to be with you
Owning your own actions and growing from them
Designing your results with personal responsibility
Deciding you will do "it"
Building self-trust and self-confidence
Moving forward
Having grace and self-compassion
Your Personal power is NOT:
Blaming your circumstances or other people for your results
Indulging in ideas or emotions that no longer serve you or keep you stuck
Mindlessly following the actions of others
Quitting when things aren't effortless
Being one foot in, one foot out
Living in the past
Having excuses for everything
You'd think being in your power feels like She-Ra, all golden and strong on the top of a mountain with your sword pointed at the full moon, and in some ways it does. But in other ways, it feels like you've been through the wringer. It's not all glamour which is why not everyone can do this and why diet culture still exists. You have to be sick enough of your own shit to get out of your own way and show up for this process.
Yes, of course, we offer guidance and action steps along the way but without your power in play, they will only get you so far. We want you to go the whole way. Alllllll the way.
Let's Start Unlocking Your Personal Power Right Now!
If you want to start flexing your power now, try this exercise.
Whatever story or problem you can think of that's weighing you down right now...take a moment to write down the story and then highlight just facts about that story. Then ask yourself, "what am I making these facts mean?"
For example, "I'm 183 pounds." That is a sample fact that could mean a lot of different things to different people. There's a story that goes with that number. That story is what you're making the number mean and can be negative, neutral, or positive. Notice how your story makes you feel. Notice what you do or don't do when you believe that story. How is that impacting your goals/results? What if your story wasn't true? What could you believe instead that might actually be helpful?
Learning how to see the facts at face value also allows you to see the stories in your mind. The stories you tell yourself either support your power or they take it away. We have about 60,000 pre-programmed thoughts that just swirl around in our brains. They came from our family, teachers, friends, media, etc and a lot of it is total crap. It's kind of like a Marie Kondo approach. We start to go through all of the thoughts and stories that come up and then we practice keeping only the helpful ones and build some new ways of thinking (and therefore being) along the way. You also learn how to manage your feelings about all of it in the process, because remember, it’s not always meant to feel amazing.
Your power is within you right now! Nobody can give it to you or take it away from you, except you. We simply show you how to apply it so you can create the results you want! Get Started Now!
