Empowerment is that careful notion of giving someone else – or yourself – an opportunity to succeed that would otherwise not be there.
It’s the opposite of disempowerment – someone telling you that you can’t.
America is obviously an empowering nation.
Everyone in America tends to believe that they can achieve, they can do it, they can reach their goals.
Empowerment says, “I”m going to help you reach your goals.”
Disempowerment says, “I’m going to put you away.”
Somewhere in the middle says, “I’m not going to stop you, but I’m not going to help.”
Which one sounds like your parents?
I write this because my parents are a little of all three.
I see the first one in my parents until I reached 18, and graduated from high school.
I see the second in my father after we had our first and only fight.
I see the third in my father when I started my charity for women’s empowerment – Girl Justice.
Empowerment is a choice.
When you empower, you gain power.
It’s interesting. Empower – and then in power. It intuitively clicks logically.
Disempowerment is where the power used to be – holding the people back. Dumbing them down.
We want politicians that can empower us.
But the biggest breakthrough is when you empower yourself.
Self-empowerment is as great as self-improvement.
It could become its own category.
Self-empowerment is the idea that – after taking stock of your constraints – you lift yourself up to achieve what you want to achieve.
For me personally, it’s starting this blog – a blog on empowerment and entrepreneurship and business tools – because business tools are the money.
Reading a book to the end is self-empowerment.
I only minutes ago finished reading a chapter of the book “The Law of Success“. It’s a God book.
It’s written by the author Napoleon Hill, who wrote the famous business book, and must-read, Think and Grow Rich.
Napoleon hill’s books are 100 years old, but still applicable to perfection.
He is an example of an empowerer.
He gives you what you need to get to the promised land.
Tony Robbins is another example of a person who empowers.
What’s in it for Tony if you “awaken the giant within”?
It’s, possibly, the knowledge or emotion that he has helped millions to succeed.
What an incredible emotion.
It’s similar to starting a women’s charity, and hearing later about its massive successes after you left the charity.
It’s that recognition that you started something that caused millions to be moved in the right direction.
Empowerment is about upliftment.
It’s about giving you a choice, when before you never knew you had a choice.
I didn’t know I had a giant within.
Then I read Tony Robbin’s book, and what do you know – I’m bigger inside.
With parents, most people stay in the 3rd segment.
That’s the segment that says, “I’m not going to stop you, but I’m not gonna help.”
Life is busy for most of us.
Helping others is a religion – it’s called Christianity – but we’re not all that religious.
But some of us choose to be the person that not only doesn’t stop you, he also helps you get to your desired destination.
It’s how I feel when I know I’ve changed the world, but I’m temporarily stuck in a halfway house.
I bought myself a laptop with my last $600 so I could connect to the internet.
The phone was included.
I’m personally in a moment where I need to empower myself.
Getting up early is a sticking point, because with this new bed I bought, I can’t sleep at night.
It’s so aggravating to stay awake all night, and then it’s 7 AM.
Regardless, empowerment is a choice you can make for yourself.
And that’s an easy choice. Of course you’ll empower yourself.
But it’s actually a sticking point for a lot of people.
Self-empowerment is the concept.
Don’t you ever hold yourself back.
It’s little things like thinking “I can’t.”
That’s when you awaken the giant within.
Or in my past experience, awaken the inner drill sargeant.
“Alright Kaplan, run another mile!”
When you think you can’t, you want to exercise the “I can”.
It’s all about cultivating the awareness of capability.
I can – I will – I did.
So many of us don’t think we can.
But we live halfway decent lives.
Do you want to be the person who thinks he can’t, but breezes through life with a job and a marriage?
Or do you want to be the person who knows he can, does, and ends up in a halfway house like I did?
Or is it the middle ground of knowing your limits, respecting your boundaries, and going for it when it makes sense – and still getting the ring on your finger.
Life is a choose-your-own adventure game, and you can choose what to focus on. That is, provided it’s cool with your parents.
Thank you and have a great day.