Category Archives: Personal Empowerment

The human mind is complex it perceives things differently according to our beliefs and thought patterns. This unique part of our body gives us the insights and mental prowess to go through life by utilizing our own abilities to survive and adapt. But if you want to live life to the fullest then you better let your creative juices flow to come up with great ideas for self-improvement in both your personal life and career. Everyone has the capacity to be creative, as long as they dont put a limit to their capability to think and to accept new ideas from the outside. But there are certain hindrances that stop the flow of creative juices on our brain and here are some ideas on how to burst the dam and let the creative you show itself to the world. Get Rid Of Your Stress Stress is one of the hindrances in letting your creative juices flow out of you. In most cases, our problems, fears, inhibitions, physical exhaustion, or even our emotions can become a hurdle that stops our mind from thinking anything beside the problem. Stress management can help get rid of this problem and let your mind relax to boost your creativity. It also helps you focus your eyes on an object that gives you comfort or that can help you relax. You might also want to indulge in your favorite activities to help you get rid of negative thoughts that stop your brain from being creative. Expand Your Repertoire Using your own stock knowledge may not be enough to guarantee a fresh flow of creative juices to run through your head. If you want to get some good ideas then you better get out of your hiding-hole and look at your surroundings to get some good

Read More

This was sent to me by a dear friend. I thought it was interesting enough to share with you. Best Regards Selva A theology professor was teaching about Anger; He asked his students, Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset? The students thought for a while. One of them said, because we lose our calm, we shout for that. But why shout when the other person is just next to you? asked the professor. Isnt it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you are angry? The students gave some other answers but none satisfied the professor. Finally he explained, When two people are angry at each other, their hearts psychologically distance themselves. To cover the distance, they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will shout to hear each other through that great distance. Then the professor asked, What happens when two people fall in love? They dont shout at each other but talk softly, why? Because their hearts are psychologically very close. The distance between them is very small. The professor continued, When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they even get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and thats all. So next time you shout to a loved one, know that you are creating distance between your heart and that persons heart.

You may be surprised how some individuals act on certain occasions. Your integrity and response largely depend on your character and how it was honed for years. The decisions and choices you make are triggered by your background and your own created values and virtues. The way you were raised and your experiences will lead to how you relate with other people and the world as a whole. Here are some ways to build good character. 1. Define Character First of all, you have to understand the meaning of character. It is the total of traits and qualities that will define a certain individual or group of people. It describes the ethical and moral strength of the individual, as well as attributes and abilities that will ultimately correspond to their life choices. Character defines the person and his or her actions, with the possibility of these being positive on how to become a better you. Character is closely related to integrity, which is defined as consistent adherence to strict moral or ethical code. People who have integrity can be defined as complete, unimpaired and sound. Integrity, as a whole, can be defined as performing the right things for the right reasons, regardless of the conditions and circumstances. 2. On Values If you want to build good character, you have to select as set of principles and rules that you will abide by for the rest of your life. The actions you take to follow these guidelines will ultimately lead to a happy and contented life, which in turn, will reflect your positivity and support toward creating a better world and environment for everyone. You can effectively follow the ethics of a certain group or religion. You can also develop your own ideals, based on your beliefs, experiences and personal opinions.

Read More

See the original post:

Personal Empowerment Solutions.com | All about Personal ...

When someone engages in a behavior thats a problem, the reason they do it is irrelevant. If we try too hard to understand the behavior, before long well find ourselves excusing it and eventually enabling it.

Ive recently completed a series of articles on the types of behavior frequently displayed by persons with disturbed characters. Those behaviors interfere with the process of healthy socialization and also frequently serve as mechanisms to manipulate and impression-manage others. (See Understanding the Dysfunctional Tactics of Disturbed Characters.)

In a new series of articles, well be discussing the keys to empowering oneself not only in relationships with disturbed characters, but in all social interactions. The principal secrets of personal empowerment are twofold:

Once the main principals are grasped, there are specific methods or tools a person can employ to keep from being taken advantage of in relationships with unscrupulous characters. Several articles to come will take a look at each of these tools of empowerment and how to apply them in everyday situations.

In previous articles, Ive mentioned how one of the most problematic legacies of traditional psychology is the notion that peoples behavior is motivated most of the time by their fears and insecurities and that they are not often consciously aware of their emotional issues. Most of us are familiar with the tenets of traditional psychology. So, when somebody does something unnerving we almost always try to understand it by asking ourselves what need, fear, or insecurity underlies it. Worst of all, often the leap is made from understanding the behavior to inadvertently excusing it or enabling it.

The single most important empowerment tool is to accept no excuses for hurtful, harmful, or inappropriate behavior. Once a person stops trying to explain or understand a behavior and simply sets a limit to no no longer accept it, everything begins to change. Learning to correctly identify and label the various problem behaviors that disturbed characters frequently display as well as learning how to respond to those behaviors is equally empowering.

So, we begin the process of empowerment by accepting no excuses. When someone engages in a behavior thats a problem, the reason they do it is irrelevant. If we try too hard to understand the behavior, before long well find ourselves excusing it and eventually enabling it. If a behavior is wrong, it needs to be corrected, purely and simply. And we need to hold one another accountable. Its the only way to stem the stunningly rising tide of character disturbance in our culture. We complete the process of empowerment by learning how to conduct ourselves in a wide variety of situations in which persons of deficient or disturbed characters may throw a host of problem behaviors at us. By recognizing their tactics, labeling them correctly, responding to them effectively, and holding the disturbed character accountable for change, anyone can learn the secrets of not being taken advantage of or exploited.

Accepting no excuses is the first and cardinal rule, but there are many others. Well explore them all in upcoming posts.

Would you like to join the discussion on The Secrets of Personal Empowerment?

See the rest here:

The Secrets of Personal Empowerment

The following articles are related to Series On Personal Empowerment at Psychology, Philosophy and Real Life.

Human beings have one amazing power, but one power only the power of choice.

Our conceptualizations of the situations we find ourselves in can not only place us at a disadvantage, but can literally do us harm.

Theres no need to red flag action that youre willing to take if the disturbed character wont change. Dont threaten, just take action.

In the course of human relations, we frequently make agreements with one another. Because disturbed characters are not reliable, trustworthy, or prone to play fairly, making any kind of agreements with them can be a risky business indeed.

If you find yourself drained in a relationship, chances are youre doing way too much to make things work and not keeping the weight of responsibility where it belongs.

Ultimately, people have power only over one thing: the execution of their free will.

A person always loses power when they fail to set and enforce reasonable limits.

See original here:

Series On Personal Empowerment at Psychology, Philosophy ...

A Methodology for Creating Your Life As You Want It

Three decades ago, the idea of empowerment was fresh and daring. As young as the word itself, we, (David and Gail) both felt that empowerment would be at the heart of our lifes work. In our earliest days together, sitting with yellow legal pads at our kitchen table overlooking the Ashokan Reservoir and the Catskill Mountains, we planned our wedding ceremony and then seamlessly turned to designing our fledgling Empowerment Workshop. So intertwined was our love with our passion for this work, that ten days after we were married, we launched our first workshop. As we celebrate our third decade of marriage, our bond of love is stronger than ever and our passion for empowerment more compelling than ever.

All those years ago, neither we, nor the world, knew what empowerment really meant. We knew it was about helping people to grow and realize their full potential. We also knew that it was about more than just healing and fixing problems. But what exactly was its purpose? Why was this idea entering the lexicon of change strategies with such force? Over these three decades, an extraordinarily diverse, visionary, and committed community of people was attracted to our training programs to help us discover the answers to these questions.

Originally posted here:

Personal Empowerment Programs - Empowerment Institute

Announcing the Personal Empowerment Groups Empower You Series

Click on this link for our Founder and Senior Coach Dr. Kalind Bakshi http://youtu.be/bJbFHD6Wezk

Click on this link for our Relationship Coach Paula Michele of Life Coach Philly http://youtu.be/u9iH0Cuib1w

Click on this link for our Stress Coach and Spiritual Coach Reverend Mike Wanner http://youtu.be/kOWhqeCU4Bg

Personal Empowerment Group Brochure

Click on this link for the Personal Empowerment Group BrochurePERSONAL EMPOWERMENT GROUP Brochure

Organizational Chart

Click on this link for the Personal Empowerment Group Organizational Chart PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT GROUP Chart

Personal Empowerment Group is happy to share a list of our coaching staff.

For your information, we list their specialties after their name.

Kalind Bakshi Medical Doctor Certified Master Coach and Instructor MCA Certified Circle of Life Coach Certified Weight Loss Coach

Certified Stress Mastery Coach

Food Psychology Coach, Certified Group Leader

Smoking Cessation Facilitator Founder Of Personal Empowerment Group

Click on this link to go to Coach Bakshis page: http://personalempowermentgroup.com/dr-kalind-bakshi/267-278-1054 e-mail: coachkalind@gmail.com

Paula Michele Boyle Certified life Coach Certified Professional Coach Certified Master Coach Founder of Personal Empowerment Group

Click on the link below to go to Coach Paulas page:

http://personalempowermentgroup.com/paula-michele/215-725-1995 E-mail:Paula@lifecoachphilly.com

Reverend Mike Wanner Certified Professional Coach Stress Release Coach Ordained Metaphysical Minister Ordained Inter-faith Minister Prayer Therapist Reiki Master Usui, Gendai, Komyo, Karuna, Jikiden(Okuden) Master Teacher of Integrated Energy Therapy Dowser

Click on the link below to go to Coach Wanners page: http://personalempowermentgroup.com/rev-mike-wanner215-342-1270 E-mail:mikewann@voicenet.com

View post:

Personal Empowerment Group . com - Empowering You

At times in our lives, we can all benefit from the help and support of another and personal therapy can make a huge positive difference.

With therapy rooms in Great Barr,Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield, I work on the basis that we are all unique and individual. This is reflected in Your therapy, therefore,my primary ethic is to ensure that you are at the forefront of everything we do, after all, your therapy is about and for You.

Asan experienced Counsellor and Psychotherapist, Iam Accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and a UKRCP registered Counsellor and Psychotherapist. As well as seeing individuals on a one to one basis, I also see couples for Relationship Counselling.

Appointments are available in the daytime and evening in north Birmingham(close to the Scott Arms crossroads, just off the A34 that links Walsall and Birmingham City Centre)and in Sutton Coldfield (near Banners Gate). Both locations are very easy to find, offer ease of parkingand arein easy reach of Birmingham, Walsall, Sutton Coldfield and West Bromwich. My FAQ page has address and map details.

Feel free to contact me I am happy to provide as much information as your require to allow you to make an informed choice. If you have any questions, would like any additional information or if you would like to set up an initial appointment, please contact me.

Im often asked about what happens in the first therapy session. Heres an article I published that gives an insight Click here.

Hypnotherapy is a very effective way to help you become a non-smoker. Information on how this works Stop Smoking Main Page

In follow-up to the previous two articles, below are some mindfulness exercises to experiment with. Experimenting with techniques is really important to find what you prefer and what fits best for you. Often we are advised to do things that may have been wonderfully beneficial or even life-changing for the person telling us, but it may not suit ourselves.

Read more .

I have recently been asked forthe address of my Facebook page Here it is- https://www.facebook.com/personalempowermenttherapy

If you have time, please share

Wishing you a lovely day

Duncan.

It is extremely hard to feelanxious or stressedwhen we have a sense of gratitude and appreciation for what we have in life. We are surrounded by such rich splendour and we have all created truly brilliant things in our lives, however, often these parts of us feel distanced and not felt. Read more .

Mindfulness is increasingly being recognised as being very effective to help people manage anxiety and depression. Put very simply, it is the practise of focusing our attention on being in the here and now without wishing it were different. It is enjoying the present when things are good and not holding onto it when it changes and being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way. Read More .

Throughout our lives we encounter a vast range of experiences and many can indelibly ink themselves into our memories whether pleasant or unpleasant. Unpleasant and harmful experiences can often create symptoms of trauma that can stay with us for some time. Read more ..

It can be very easy for us to slip into unhealthy eating and drinking patterns and often this can be gradual which results into us putting on extra weight. Losing this weight isnt easy and not being as we would like to be can begin to chip away at our self esteem. It can also alter our behaviours for example it can influence how we dress or we may go out less or become a little less confident. Read more .

Keeping a journal can bring great benefits and you can do this in a number of ways. A valid point to remember is that this is your journal and often we can place undue pressure on ourselves to write every day or can give up if weve missed a few days or weeks. This is Yours so if you find it a help to write once a week, month, quarter then do so. Read more .

With seemingly an ever increasing number of therapies available, it can be hard to decide what to look for to ensure you have the help and support that is going to be best for you. From the greater researched and evidence based therapies of Counselling, CBT, Psychotherapy and EMDR to Life Coaching and complimentary therapies such as Hypnotherapy and Reflexology. Read more ..

We have been very fortunate to be able to show the pictures of Gary Davison. Garys artistic depth and expertise isexpressed through his photography and we are grateful to be able to incorporate them on this website. For more information on his photos, please go to facebook.com/gary.davison

Managing any strong emotion can be a challenge for us as when we are flooded with strong feelings, our ability to think rationally diminishes significantly. Anger is one of our primary emotions and is often sparked by frustration or injustice. Read more .

Attending any appointment for the first time can be a daunting prospect and this is especially true of Hypnotherapy due to the many myths that accompany it and the nature of the therapy.

So in the first session, what can you realistically expect? The information that is stated below relates to how I work and there maybe differences between different therapists. Read more.

In the previous article Do you value your sleep, it raised some significant points as to why sleep is so important for us to be able to function at our best. Its one thing to be appreciate this but achieving this cannot always be easy. Read more .

Sleep is a fundamental for our wellbeing and recent research emphasis this greatly.

Read more .

Therapeutic writing is very widely used form of self help. Writing is a form of expression and any form of expression helps us to manage and deal with our emotions. When faced with issues and problems in life, it can be very easy for our thoughts to spiral, go round in circles and meander down some dark negative alleyways and as this happens, our emotions become engaged.

Read more .

Its been 5 years since the smoking ban was introduced in England and it has been hailed as bringing huge benefits. It has brought about huge behavioural changes, for example, where for many its a natural act for smokers to disappear to the designated areas and for others, it has altered whether they go out socially or create their social interactions at home.

Read more .

Feeling inspired and being inspired can provide such powerful positive feelings. Often this means getting in touch with a thought, feeling, way of being or an emotion that we truly connect with.

Read more

From today, we are able to offer coaching and counselling via Skype. This can be done directly or through http://www.mootu.co.uk. It is very easy to useand begins with booking a session. To do this, simply email me or call and well arrange a mutually convenient time and I offer a free 15 minute taster to allow you to become familiar with talking to me over Skype.

As the New Year gets under way, we often look to make positive changes to ensure this year is a great year. Making it is not always easy. Read more

Relaxation is often under-estimated as a great way to alleviate stress. Living in the UK can be very stressful with a multitude of perceived demands that we place upon ourselves such as the need to earn a certain amount, to have our status needs met, to perform well as a friend, family member, work colleague or cope with demands such as brining up children or meeting our monthly outgoings. Also, we can feel a sense of guilt if were not being productive or if were not busying ourselves. Read more .

The way we view life can often influence our emotions and how we behave. We tend to attach meaning to things that happen to us such as the manner in which someone talks to us, how our team performs, watching the news etc.Read more

CBT has been given a lot of press over the last few years. This is largely due to it being an evidence based therapy meaning that organisations such as the NHS can see the differences that are being made. It is can also be a very effective therapy to allow people to free themselves from their self limiting thoughts and beliefs and for them to have tools and strategies to manage their lives effectively. Read more

An investigation by The Guardian has found that prescription rates for anti-depressants in the north of England are up to 3 times higher than in the south. NICE guidelines clearly state that pills should not be the first resort in helping mild to moderate depression and instead favour talking therapies such as CBT or Counselling as these work better and do not have risky side effects.

Read more

Life pressures often take their toll on our relationships. From long hours to the time and effort required to care for children. It is very easy for us to become distanced from our partner and for us to fall into routine ways of being where the enjoyment we used to share is less.

Read More

The tips below are to allow people to manage panic attacks and their symptoms. Some or all may be relevant and useful and these are only a guide of the more common ways to manage anxiety.

Read more

Panic attacks (also known as anxiety attacks) can be a terrifying ordeal as our mind gives a strong reaction to something it perceives as a threat. Read more ..

Weve moved offices and as such the landline number has changed from 0121 356 1276 to 0121 580 8015. If you dial the old number though, there is a recorded message to advise you of this change. My mobile remains the same and is probably the quickest way to get in touch.

Regards

Duncan (Quinney)

The Anxiety page of this website has been updated to include lots more information click here. Included now is information on Panic Attacks, General Anxiety Disorder, OCD, Eating Disorders, Substance Misuse and Phobias. As always, should you require any further information, feel free to email or call me. Regards Duncan

The NHS and Government are in the midst of their initiative Improving Access to Psychological Therapies which is pretty much as it sounds. It was found that there are a number of barriers to people gaining the support and help they may benefit from such as lack of NHS counsellors, long waiting lists, lack of awareness of what is available and the perceived stigma attached with seeking psychological support. Read more ..

A new page has been added. Click here Life Coaching in Birmingham. Having trained as a Coach some years ago, I am now offering this for appointments in Great Barr, Birmingham and in Sutton Coldfield. The Birmingham therapy room is at the Scott Arms betweem Walsall and Birmingham City Centre and close to West Bromish too. The Sutton Coldfield therapy room is walking distance from the town centre. I also provide Counselling, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy at these locations too.

As always, feel free to contact me if you would like any further information or if youd like to set up an initial appointment.

Hypnotherapy can help alleviate the symptoms of anxiety. Anxiety is a human emotion experienced by everyone and if you imagine a scale of 1 to 100, where 1 is very low and 100 is very high, our anxiety levels are on that scale somewhere at all times. Sometimes we may be veering towards the upper end, other times we may move towards the lower end. For some people, anxiety can be particularly prevalent and they may feel that they are towards the top end of the scale for a lot of the time and are finding it hard to control this. Read more .

There are a number of reasons as to why exercise is good for us from the obvious physical effects but also from a psychological perspective. Exercise increases the release of natural opiates within the brain called endorphins which is chemically similar to morphine.

Read More

Counselling is a growing industry and the attendance of counselling and therapy is at last becoming more and more accepted. There has been, and to some extent, there still is a stigma attached with seeking psychological help as though those who engage with such therapies are perceived to be in need or are weak.

Read more.

Anxiety is a universal human emotion felt by everybody. We all sit on the scale between experiencing no anxiety to experiencing extreme anxiety and we can move up and down this scale daily, hourly or even by the minute. For some, their anxiety can be felt much more than others whether this be a temporary reaction to current stresses or pressures or whether its a long-term effect. Read more

Many large organisations now provide personal support to their employees which can bring many benefits to both employer and employee.

Read more .

The government have stated that they aim to cut the number of smokers by 50% over the next 10 years. Estimates show that currently approximately 21% of the population smokes with the aim to reduce this to 10%.

Please read more

Stress can be described as an imbalance between a persons demands and their ability to cope with those demands. The personal demands that cause this stress are ultimately imposed by the individual, therefore stress, to an extent can be indirectly self imposed.

Read more ..

Counselling is a talk therapy and many people gain great benefits from being able to openly and safely explore their inner world. Gaining a greater understanding and self awareness can often be the first steps towards making positive change or experiencing your world in a better way. Read more .

A panic attack is the bodys reaction to fear, however, it happens in normal situations when there is no need to feel fear. They are very common, occurring in about 5% of the population (1 in 20 people) . Read more .

It can be said that were all natural born non-smokers, and smoking is a temporary habit that will end at some point. Its the individuals choice whether this ends at the grave or in choosing to improve your life and
free yourself.

Read more ..

With the festive season upon us, the subsequent New Years resolutions will sping into action and many people will seek to gain the freedom of being a Nonsmoker. Stopping smoking is the single best thing you can do to improve your health and increase your life expectancy. Read on Further .

I often wonder how the stigma once attached to seeking counselling has lessoned over the last decade. It maybe traditionally un-British to talk about ones feelings and the general belief has always been that there must be something wrong with a person if they needed counselling. Read on further ..

So, having made the decision to see a counsellor, having found one or been referred to one and booked an appointment, you now wait wondering what to expect in your first session. Making this step takes courage and strength as by this point youre likely to have acknowledged that theres an issue or set of issues, even if youre unsure of the exact details. Read on further .

Im pleased to announce I have launched my new website.

The new-look website is to enable users to navigate it easier to find out the information you want even quicker.

Visit link:

Counselling and Hypnotherapy in ... - Personal Empowerment

So here you are, searching the web to find a life coach. You might be anyone...

You might be an executive or the owner of a successful small business looking to find balance between the demands of work and the needs of your family. You might be an empty-nester looking to make a difference in the lives of others but not sure which direction to choose. Maybe it's simply that you want your already great relationship to be spectacular.

Perhaps you are a musician, a writer, or an artist looking for a creative breakthrough, or a doctoral candidate looking for the perfect thesis. You might even be a twenty-something techno whiz entrepreneur with a brilliant idea for a product or service that will change the world forever. Maybe you just want to figure out how to have more fun.

Whatever your circumstances, goals or dreams might be, the bottom line is that your life is in transition. And you are determined to make your life be what you want it to be! That's where a Professional Life Coach comes in: We will help you turn your dreams into reality.

- About Us -

LifeCoaching.com is a cooperative effort between Carmine Leo and Kellie deRuyter. We've been friends for over 40 years, through all the ups and downs that life has had to offer. Not surprisingly, our strongest connection has always been our relentless commitment to personal growth and the space of possibility, for ourselves, for each other, and for everyone whose path through life touches ours.

For more individualized information, please view our bio pages using either of the links below.

Click Here to meet CarmineClick Here to meet Kellie

We provide Professional Life Coach Training as well as coaching, training, certification, and assessments for Emotional Intelligence ( EI ).

- Our Coaching Philosophy -

We believe that each of us has the wisdom and power within us to make our life be what we want it to be. We see the coaching relationship as an alliance, a partnership, a process of inquiry that empowers clients to reconnect with their own inner wisdom, to find their own answers, to rediscover those powerful moments of choice out of which lasting change grows.

We believe we are all whole beings with whole lives and that every choice we make affects every other aspect of our lives. Our work affects our relationships. Our relationships touch our spirituality. Our spiritual well being affects our capacity for joy which affects our work and so on, round and round. We coach the whole person. We believe you deserve the life you want.

So... Who are you? What is important to you? What are your challenges? What gets in your way? Where do you want to go? How would you feel if your life were just exactly the way you wanted it to be? When would you like to begin?

Free Introductory Life Coaching Sessions

Read More About Life Coaching

- Privacy Policy - Confidentiality is a sacred trust. We never sell, rent or trade our clients' personal data. We never spam.

We Accept Online Payments Fast - Free - Secure Sign Up Now!

All content on this site 2001-2016 Carmine Leo and LifeCoaching.com except where otherwise noted.

Disclaimer: All content on LifeCoaching.com is provided for information and education purposes only. Individuals wishing to make changes to their dietary, lifestyle, exercise or medication regimens should do so in conjunction with a competent, knowledgeable and empathic medical professional. Anyone who chooses to apply the information on LifeCoaching.com does so of their own volition and at their own risk. The owner of and contributors to LifeCoaching.com accept no responsibility or liability whatsoever for any harm - real or imagined - from the use or dissemination of information contained here. If these conditions are not agreeable to you, you are advised to leave this site immediately.

See the article here:

Life Coaching for Personal and Professional Empowerment

Empowerment refers to measures designed to increase the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities in order to enable them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. Empowerment refers both to the process of self-empowerment and to professional support of people, which enables them to overcome their sense of powerlessness and lack of influence, and to recognise and eventually to use their resources and chances.

The term empowerment originates from American community psychology and is associated with the social scientist Julian Rappaport (1981).

In social work, empowerment forms a practical approach of resource-oriented intervention. In the field of citizenship education and democratic education, empowerment is seen as a tool to increase the responsibility of the citizen. Empowerment is a key concept in the discourse on promoting civic engagement. Empowerment as a concept, which is characterized by a move away from a deficit-oriented towards a more strength-oriented perception, can increasingly be found in management concepts, as well as in the areas of continuing education and self-help.

Robert Adams points to the limitations of any single definition of 'empowerment', and the danger that academic or specialist definitions might take away the word and the connected practices from the very people they are supposed to belong to.[1] Still, he offers a minimal definition of the term: 'Empowerment: the capacity of individuals, groups and/or communities to take control of their circumstances, exercise power and achieve their own goals, and the process by which, individually and collectively, they are able to help themselves and others to maximize the quality of their lives.'[2]

One definition for the term is "an intentional, ongoing process centered in the local community, involving mutual respect, critical reflection, caring, and group participation, through which people lacking an equal share of resources gain greater access to and control over those resources" (Cornell Empowerment Group).[3]

Rappaport's (1984) definition includes: "Empowerment is viewed as a process: the mechanism by which people, organizations, and communities gain mastery over their lives."[4]

Sociological empowerment often addresses members of groups that social discrimination processes have excluded from decision-making processes through - for example - discrimination based on disability, race, ethnicity, religion, or gender. Empowerment as a methodology is also associated with feminism.

Empowerment is the process of obtaining basic opportunities for marginalized people, either directly by those people, or through the help of non-marginalized others who share their own access to these opportunities. It also includes actively thwarting attempts to deny those opportunities. Empowerment also includes encouraging, and developing the skills for, self-sufficiency, with a focus on eliminating the future need for charity or welfare in the individuals of the group. This process can be difficult to start and to implement effectively.

One empowerment strategy is to assist marginalized people to create their own nonprofit organization, using the rationale that only the marginalized people, themselves, can know what their own people need most, and that control of the organization by outsiders can actually help to further entrench marginalization. Charitable organizations lead from outside of the community, for example, can disempower the community by entrenching a dependence charity or welfare. A nonprofit organization can target strategies that cause structural changes, reducing the need for ongoing dependence. Red Cross, for example, can focus on improving the health of indigenous people, but does not have authority in its charter to install water-delivery and purification systems, even though the lack of such a system profoundly, directly and negatively impacts health. A nonprofit composed of the indigenous people, however, could ensure their own organization does have such authority and could set their own agendas, make their own plans, seek the needed resources, do as much of the work as they can, and take responsibility - and credit - for the success of their projects (or the consequences, should they fail).

The process of which enables individuals/groups to fully access personal or collective power, authority and influence, and to employ that strength when engaging with other people, institutions or society. In other words, "Empowerment is not giving people power, people already have plenty of power, in the wealth of their knowledge and motivation, to do their jobs magnificently. We define empowerment as letting this power out."[5] It encourages people to gain the skills and knowledge that will allow them to overcome obstacles in life or work environment and ultimately, help them develop within themselves or in the society.

To empower a female "...sounds as though we are dismissing or ignoring males, but the truth is, both genders desperately need to be equally empowered."[6] Empowerment occurs through improvement of conditions, standards, events, and a global perspective of life.

Paradoxically, before there can be the finding that a particular group requires empowerment and that therefore their self-esteem needs to be consolidated on the basis of awareness of their strengths, there needs to be a deficit diagnosis usually carried out by experts assessing the problems of this group. The fundamental asymmetry of the relationship between experts and clients is usually not questioned by empowerment processes. It also needs to be regarded critically, in how far the empowerment approach is really applicable to all patients/ clients. It is particularly questionable whether mentally ill people in acute crisis situations are in a position to make their own decisions. According to Albert Lenz, people behave primarily regressive in acute crisis situations and tend to leave the responsibility to professionals.[7] It must be assumed, therefore, that the implementation of the empowerment concept requires a minimum level of communication and reflectivity of the persons involved.

In social work, empowerment offers an approach that allows social workers to increase the capacity for self-help of their clients. For example, this allows clients not to be seen as passive, helpless 'victims' to be rescued but instead as a self-empowered person fighting abuse/ oppression; a fight, in which the social worker takes the position of a facilitator, instead of the position of a 'rescuer'.[8]

Marginalized people who lack self-sufficiency become, at a minimum, dependent on charity, or welfare. They lose their self-confidence because they cannot be fully self-supporting. The opportunities denied them also deprive them of the pride of accomplishment which others, who have those opportunities, can develop for themselves. This in turn can lead to psychological, social and even mental health problems. "Marginalized" here refers to the overt or covert trends within societies whereby those perceived as lacking desirable traits or deviating from the group norms tend to be excluded by wider society and ostracized as undesirables.

According to Robert Adams, there is a long tradition in the UK and the USA respectively to advance forms of self-help that have developed and contributed to more recent concepts of empowerment. For example, the free enterprise economic theories of Milton Friedman embraced self-help as a respectable contributor to the economy. Both the Republ
icans in the US and the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher built on these theories. 'At the same time, the mutual aid aspects of the concept of self-help retained some currency with socialists and democrats.'[9]

In economic development, the empowerment approach focuses on mobilizing the self-help efforts of the poor, rather than providing them with social welfare. Economic empowerment is also the empowering of previously disadvantaged sections of the population, for example, in many previously colonized African countries.[10]

Legal empowerment happens when marginalised people or groups use the legal mobilisation i.e., law, legal systems and justice mechanisms to improve or transform their social, political or economic situations. Legal empowerment approaches are interested in understanding how they can use the law to advance interests and priorities of the marginalised.[11]

According to 'Open society foundations' (an NGO) "Legal empowerment is about strengthening the capacity of all people to exercise their rights, either as individuals or as members of a community. Legal empowerment is about grass root justice, about ensuring that law is not confined to books or courtrooms, but rather is available and meaningful to ordinary people.[12]

Lorenzo Cotula in his book ' Legal Empowerment for Local Resource Control ' outlines the fact that legal tools for securing local resource rights are enshrined in legal system, does not necessarily mean that local resource users are in position to use them and benefit from them. The state legal system is constrained by a range of different factors - from lack of resources to cultural issues. Among these factors economic, geographic, linguistic and other constraints on access to courts, lack of legal awareness as well as legal assistance tend to be recurrent problems.[13]

In many context, marginalised groups do not trust the legal system owing to the widespread manipulation that it has historically been subjected to by the more powerful. 'To what extent one knows the law, and make it work for themselves with 'para legal tools', is legal empowerment; assisted utilizing innovative approaches like legal literacy and awareness training, broadcasting legal information, conducting participatory legal discourses, supporting local resource user in negotiating with other agencies and stake holders and to strategies combining use of legal processes with advocacy along with media engagement, and socio legal mobilisation.[13]

Sometimes groups are marginalized by society at large, with governments participating in the process of marginalization. Equal opportunity laws which actively oppose such marginalization, are supposed to allow empowerment to occur. These laws made it illegal to restrict access to schools and public places based on race. They can also be seen as a symptom of minorities' and women's empowerment through lobbying.

Gender empowerment conventionally refers to the empowerment of women, and has become a significant topic of discussion in regards to development and economics. It can also point to approaches regarding other marginalized genders in a particular political or social context. This approach to empowerment is partly informed by feminism and employed legal empowerment by building on international human rights. Empowerment is one of the main procedural concerns when addressing human rights and development. The Human Development and Capabilities Approach, The Millennium Development Goals, and other credible approaches/goals point to empowerment and participation as a necessary step if a country is to overcome the obstacles associated with poverty and development.[14]

According to Thomas A Potterfield,[15] many organizational theorists and practitioners regard employee empowerment as one of the most important and popular management concepts of our time.

Ciulla discusses an inverse case: that of bogus empowerment.[16]

In the sphere of management and organizational theory, "empowerment" often refers loosely to processes for giving subordinates (or workers generally) greater discretion and resources: distributing control in order to better serve both customers and the interests of employing organizations.

One account of the history of workplace empowerment in the United States recalls the clash of management styles in railroad construction in the American West in the mid-19th century, where "traditional" hierarchical East-Coast models of control encountered individualistic pioneer workers, strongly supplemented by methods of efficiency-oriented "worker responsibility" brought to the scene by Chinese laborers. In this case, empowerment at the level of work teams or brigades achieved a notable (but short-lived) demonstrated superiority. See the views of Robert L. Webb.

During the 1980s and 1990s, empowerment has become a point of interest in management concepts and business administration. In this context, empowerment involves approaches that promise greater participation and integration to the employee in order to cope with their tasks as independently as possible and responsibly can. A strength-based approach known as "empowerment circle" has become an instrument of organizational development. Multidisciplinary empowerment teams aim for the development of quality circles to improve the organizational culture, strengthening the motivation and the skills of employees. The target of subjective job satisfaction of employees is pursued through flat hierarchies, participation in decisions, opening of creative effort, a positive, appreciative team culture, self-evaluation, taking responsibility (for results), more self-determination and constant further learning. The optimal use of existing potential and abilities can supposedly be better reached by satisfied and active workers. Here, knowledge management contributes significantly to implement employee participation as a guiding principle, for example through the creation of communities of practice.[17]

However, it is important to ensure that the individual employee has the skills to meet their allocated responsibilities and that the company's structure sets up the right incentives for employees to reward their taking responsibilities. Otherwise there is a danger of being overwhelmed or even becoming lethargic.[18]

Empowerment of employees requires a culture of trust in the organization and an appropriate information and communication system. The aim of these activities is to save control costs, that become redundant when employees act independently and in a self-motivated fashion. In the book Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute, the authors illustrate three keys that organizations can use to open the knowledge, experience, and motivation power that people already have.[5] The three keys that managers must use to empower their employees are:

According to author Stewart, in her book Empowering People she describes that in order to guarantee a successful work environment, managers need to exercise the "right kind of authority" (p.6). To summarize, "empowerment is simply the effective use of a managers authority", and subsequently, it is a productive way to maximize all-around work efficiency.

These keys are hard to put into place and it is a journey to achieve empowerment in a workplace. It is important to train employees and make sure they have trust in what empowerment will bring to a company.[5]

The implementation of the concept of empowerment in management has also been criticised for failing to live up to its claims.[19]

Read the rest here:

Empowerment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Empowering Women aims to inspire women with the courage to break free from the chains of limiting belief patterns and societal or religious conditioning that have tradiitonally kept women suppressed and unable to see their true beauty and power.

This section offers self help tools, information, encouragement and inspirational quotes and sayings for and by women to use as a guide on the journey of Reclaiming Their Power. Women are encouraged to see and bring forth the beauty and strength within themselves, to be inspired to be the best they can be, and to let their Spirit (Goddess Selves) shine through.

For those of you who are in challenging circumstances, the words here-in can help you find some peace and some strength to begin to turn your life around. The Change Starts With You. You only need to take small steps at a time. And remember that you are not alone.

If you have come to this section of the site first, please take some time to browse through the rest of the site, where you will find many more inspirations to help you on your journey of spiritual growth.

May you gain inspiration and helpful tools to guide you on your journey towards wholeness. Embrace and enjoy the journey!

This section extensively uses a font called Papyrus. For greater viewing pleasure, download the font here

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

~ Marianne Williamson - from "A Return To Love" ~

View original post here:

Empowering Women - Self Empowerment, Personal & Spiritual ...

Surveys show that far too many nurses feel powerless in their jobs, unable to act autonomously or even have a voice in the policies that affect them. If youre a nurse manager who started your career as a staff nurse, youre probably familiar with this perception of powerlessness.

The ability to initiate and manage change is a skill that can be taught. In recognition of this, American Sentinel University has forged a commitment to empowering nurses through leadership-oriented education.

In theory, nurses who have advanced to management positions have acquired, either through education or experience, a sense of personal empowerment. Yet, research suggests we might still have a long way to go. A 2011 study found that nurses in middle management in an acute care hospital setting did not feel fully empowered. A more recent study, published in 2014 in the Journal of Nursing Administration, found only moderate levels of empowerment among 140 clinical nurse managers at one large health care system in the northeast. And in 2012, researchers who took a close look at nine empirical studies conducted between 1990 and 2009 concluded that, The empowerment of nurse managers correlated positively with job satisfaction, perceived organizational support, role satisfaction, and managerial self-efficacy, and correlated negatively with emotional exhaustion and own health outcomes.

The problem with powerlessness within the nursing profession is clear: it creates job dissatisfaction, stress, and burnout. It can lead to ineffective nursing management that compromises patient safety. And its incompatible with todays increasing emphasis on multi-disciplinary care, where collaboration is key.

In the corporate world, organizational studies have found that successful process improvement plans often come not from the executive level, but from engaged employees and middle managers who feel like stakeholders in the processes being targeted for change. Theres no reason why this shouldnt apply to health care as well.

Empowered managers tend to be engaged employees who feel like important stakeholders in their workplace and the processes that keep it running. Nurse managers are more likely to develop a sense of personal empowerment when they work at an organization that values structural empowerment for example, by including nursing representatives in the process of creating policies staffing models, and administrative committees. Structural empowerment gives nurse managers a measure of influence in areas that have traditionally been governed by the executive-level administration, and it helps to promote the highest level of nursing excellence. [incl-event tag=open]

One of the most important traits of empowered leaders is that they are facilitators of change. They feel capable of identifying areas that need improvement and working to bring about transformation. Most health care organizations have compliance programs in place to deal with government-mandated change. Many also have some sort of process improvement plan that functions at the executive level, with goals of reducing costs, enhancing efficiency, and improving patient care. But how much input comes directly from nursing managers? Managers who have a clear vision of the future can develop a strategy around that vision to bring about change.

This ability to initiate and manage change is a skill that can be taught. In recognition of this, American Sentinel University has forged a commitment to empowering nurses through leadership-oriented education. The Capstone Project, an exercise in applied learning, is one example of this. It allows students to design and implement a project that closely integrates their current work experience with their coursework, under the guidance of an academic advisor. American Sentinels online MSN, management and organizational leadership specialization degree is designed for experienced nurse professional who seek to develop both management and leadership skills.

Share this story:

Read more from the original source:

Leadership Skills for Nurse Managers: Personal Empowerment