The dictionary says Empowerment is having qualities that give a person or group of people the means to take more control of their lives and become stronger and more independent. A current buzz word used indiscriminately in my opinion.
It is my belief that True Empowerment is a multi-dimensional, sociological, psychological, and economic process, not a single one-time action. To use a sports analogy, it is like exchanging the baton in a relay race. You need to hand over your power over people’s lives to them. And they need to accept this power that is being given to them.
Are the people we want to empower, ready to take on this mantle? Because with empowerment comes great responsibility, accountability for your own actions and the frightening fact that you can no longer blame anyone else for your lot in life.
I strongly believe that true empowerment requires the “empoweree” to take control of the process and drive it, for it to be transformational and sustainable.
The Harita Formula (again based on my own experience) for True Empowerment looks simple but is extremely difficult to implement. Empowering oneself is a process of self-discovery and self-support which you need to adopt and adapt to over time.
*Celebrate Failure
*Face up to your fears
*Learn from your mistakes (and make different ones next time)
*Don’t bother about what THEY will say
* Leverage the Power of Knowledge (more so if you are a woman).
Celebrate Failure.
Be unafraid of failure, In fact, celebrating it and talking about it openly without being frightened about denting your ego or what THEY will say. I know I have learnt much more from my failures than my successes.
Face upto your fears.
Irrational or perceived, fear is extremely personal and can be very real to some people, while others are able to shrug it off and get on with life. The economic fear of losing one’s job, the fear of being shamed, the fear of being laughed at, and in today’s world of social media being seen as a troublemaker and “uncool” become bogies which paralyse us.
Face your fears head on. And get to the bottom of it, the real reason why you are frightened. It can be ugly and the process painful but once you articulate it you can begin to find a solution.
To quote Will Smith in his movie, “After Earth”, “Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real, but fear is a choice.”
Learn from your mistakes (and make different ones next time). You need to make mistakes if you want to grow. Learn from them and try not to make the same mistake again, make a different one. You also need to accept the blame, clean up the mess and move on. Don’t wallow in what could have been. Before you know it, the future becomes the past. Fear of making a mistake can paralyse you, but that is not living.
Don’t bother about what THEY will say.
I was 19 when I first heard of “they”. I was fascinated and went in search of “THEY”. I am sorry to say my quest has ended in failure. I have still not found them!
They who were omnipresent, opinionated, but invisible. I realized that “THEY” are mythical beasts who don’t feed you, just criticize and lay down obiter dicta.
“They” and FEAR are like the concept of Bhava and Rasa in Indian dance. One feeds on the other. Especially in our country where parents in their desire to not be unpopular with their children, but keep them obedient, use the “THEY” factor so liberally, that it has become a living breathing entity.
Leverage the Power of Knowledge ( more so if you are a woman).
An empowered spirit needs to be fueled by the knowledge of life, experience, inspiration, and learning. Knowledge is the most potent tool. Knowledge that frees the mind of fear and enriches it. Knowledge that gives us the power to control, if not command a situation.
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled”.
Plutarch KNOWLEDGE IS TRULY POWER.