BUILD YOUR PERSONAL POWER

Do you have personal power? If you do, you probably know it. You almost certainly have high levels of self-confidence, high self-esteem and you are almost certainly comfortable with who you are. In this sense, your personal power is real power, because it defines you at your best and is beyond the judgement of others.
In this article I am going to teach you some strategies that will help you develop awesome self-confidence, boost your self-esteem, improve your perception of your self-image and add a real sense of personal power that could change your life forever.
Self-confidence is the confidence that allows you to move beyond your comfort zone - from where you are now to where you want to be. There are a couple of points about this: first you have to recognise that you are stuck in your comfort zone - if you are not sure, take some time to review your current situation and then ask yourself if you are satisfied with where you are now. Next, ask yourself where you want to be; if it is not where you are then you know that some changes are required and that means taking action.
Ok, if the thought of moving outside your comfort zone has you running for the hills, know this: self-confidence is not about being fearless - it is more about not being stuck and having sufficient motivation to take action. The author, Susan Jeffers, in her ground-breaking book, advocates that you 'feel the fear and do it anyway' and I kind-of subscribe to that mantra. This does not mean that you have to take a leap of faith headlong into the unknown - the journey can be broken down into manageable action steps.
How does this work? well, let's take the analogy of two trains running side-by-side on parallel tracks - it doesn't matter how far they travel, they will always end up in the same destination, unless some changes are made -remember, if you keep doing the same thing you will always get the same results. Now, take the same two trains, but this time imagine that a slight deviation from the parallel has been made in the laying of one set of tracks: on this journey the passengers will not at first notice the barely imperceptible change in direction, but without question the train on the newly laid tracks will eventually end up in totally different destination than the other train. This is a useful analogy for your life: by taking a slight deviation in your course - taking small and easy action steps - your life will ultimately take a completely different direction. As your life changes course, you will start to reap the benefits of success, your confidence will grow and change will become easier. Remember the old saying 'the walk of a thousand miles starts with the first step' - take your first step today!
Ok, let's take a look at self-esteem: this reflects your evaluation of your own self-worth and is based on a number of elements, including beliefs, emotions, competence and life experiences. Self-esteem has been described by psychologists as an enduring personality trait, but I consider that a more resourceful description would be that self-esteem is about personal perception - perception about your self-image. The great thing about perceptions is that they do not represent a reality - just your current perception of reality. With that powerful knowledge it doesn't take a huge mental-leap to recognise that you can change your perceptions - if you really want to!
So, how do you change your mind-set and boost your self-esteem? If you've already started work on your self-confidence then you're already on the right road. Self-esteem, of course, is much more than having confidence - there is plenty of evidence in the glossy celebrity magazines to support this - but there are some things that you can start doing right now to boost your self-esteem in fast time. I have listed some strategies below that should start you on the road to success.
Start by making a list of all the things that you already like about yourself - you will be surprised at the amount of good qualities that you already have. Review this list on a regular basis and celebrate your essential uniqueness and personal qualities.
It is really useful to seek the views of others: ask trusted friends or relatives what they like about you. Contrast their views with your own - you will be really surprised how how their perceptions may contradict your own negative assessment of yourself. Factor the new positive affirmations into your celebratory mantra.
Deal with negative self-talk: when you here that little voice inside your head spouting negative propaganda, stop the voice immediately: revert to reviewing and celebrating your good points and this will enable you to elicit a more resourceful and enabling state.
Put your beliefs into perspective - what you believe about yourself may not be true: most beliefs have been acquired over time by osmosis; based on what other people have said about you, some life experiences and constant reinforcement by your own mental activity. Start believing some more empowering thoughts about yourself today and act as if they are true: doing this will give you an immediate lift.
If you follow these simple life strategies you will soon be on the way to supercharging your self-confidence, boosting your self-esteem and your personal power will soar.
Live an empowered life!
Marik is a professional life, performance and personal development coach living and working in Essex. Marik has been involved in the field of personal development for the past 15 years and is keen to work with individuals who are committed to making positive change in their personal lives or careers.