Stand In Your (Girl) Power
Someone gave me some wise words recently: stand in your power.
Stand in your power. What does this actually mean, and how do you do it? I'm going to share three simple ways to stand in your power, but first let's talk about what it actually means.
Standing in your power means standing in your truth. Trusting in your heart, connecting in with your intuition, and trusting that there is a much bigger, greater power than you simply have to tap into. We all have different ways of connecting into our power - from yoga, to mindfulness, creative outlets like writing and drawing, affirmations and mantras, there's a whole heap of tools out there to fill your toolbox with and get to work.
I'm talking mostly from the female perspective here, but this advice is definitely applicable to all those men connected with their feminine side (by which I mean their creativity and intuition). I write from the female perspective as I see, and hear, so many wonderful women talk themselves down. I did it for years and I'm only just beginning to work out how to feel comfortable in my own power. Let me share some ways that have worked for me.
1. Start today
No excuses, doesn't matter what you're doing today, whether you're in a job you've grown sick off, whether you're looking after the kids (or the grand kids!) or whether you're self employed and feeling completely demotivated. Find 5 minutes to sit, with a notebook, and think about this questions: what do I want? Sounds easy, but you'd be amazed at how many of us don't really know what we want. How many of us are doing things that we think we should, because someone once told us we would be good at it, or simply because we've been doing that thing for years, and although it's not making us happy anymore, we're not really sure what will. Well, it doesn't matter if you don't know yet. The point is to get started. So sit down, gaze out of the window, at some flowers, at an inspiring photo or image, and start to think. What do I want? I find writing a great outlet, but you may find meditation, drawing, or walking help you. Whatever it is, do it today.
2. Start charting
Women have the unique power of the menstrual cycle. If you're not already doing it ladies, I encourage you to start charting your menstrual cycle. This can be as simple as writing a few lines everyday about how you feel, and after a few months, starting to notice patterns. Alexandra Pope and Lisa Lester are two writers who write beautifully about the power of our periods. Forcing yourself to be high-energy all month long simply goes against our nature and leaves us feeling depleted, disconnected and low.
3. Watch your thoughts
If you've developed a habit of negative thinking and beliefs, then switching these to positive ones can sometimes feel false or dishonest. It can jar with the idea of 'living your truth', but often the way we define ourselves is so self-limiting and completely takes us away from our power. Start gently. You might notice that tend to tell yourself off for making a little mistake - just watch out for this voice, and find a way to counterbalance this, perhaps with a friendly little respond like "I'm not really an idiot just because I forgot to buy milk at the shops."
I would love to hear how you get on. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook, and please do share your comments below.