Are You Giving Away Your Power?

Posted on January 01, 2017 by Toni Cay Snyder, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

You’ve heard the phrase “giving away your power,” but what does it actually mean?

I was never quite sure myself until something happened a while back that made it all click into place for me. A friend didn’t understand why I couldn’t “just find someone to watch my kids” and hop on a plane to visit for a weekend. We went round and round about this, with my friend trying to control the situation, and me trying to be “nice.” The people-pleaser in me almost gave in until it hit me that I was giving my power away to someone else. No wonder I felt so drained from that conversation! Fortunately, I was able to “plug the power leak” by speaking up for myself and being true to who I am, consequently ending the barrage of commands and keeping a friendship in the process.

If any of my experience sounds familiar, take a look at some other ways you may be giving away your personal power:

- Letting people or things waste or control your time
- Refusing to speak up for yourself
- Giving in to guilt trips or feeling ashamed
- Blaming, complaining, or self-pitying
- Not clear what your values, goals, or priorities are
- Not letting go of hurt, anger, grudges, or resentments
- Avoiding attention, fear, self-doubt, or criticism by blending in or not being yourself
- People-pleasing or seeking other people’s opinions to feel worthy, valuable, or “good enough”

We give our power to many things:

- People
- Relationships
- Jobs
- Money
- Text Messages
- Social Media
- Religion
- Culture
- Food
- (the list goes on and on)

Giving away your personal power keeps you from doing things you want to do. It keeps you stuck and blocked with no idea how to move forward. It keeps your energy low and your anxiety high. It keeps you from feeling completely happy, healthy, and whole.

PLUGGING THE POWER LEAKS

The first step to claiming your power is to accept 100% responsibility for your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Only then can you learn how to express, speak, and act in accordance with who you are at your core (a.k.a. be true to your authentic self).

I know, I know. This is easier said than done because it can be very scary to be YOU.

But being YOU is totally worth the effort so you can:

- Help when you feel it’s right
- Say “no” when you feel it’s right
- Choose direction when you feel it’s right
- Love or withdraw when you feel it’s right

Being authentic and claiming your power is a practice. It’s not a one-time weekend workshop; it’s an ongoing daily practice where you need to take the “I want you to like me” sign off of your forehead and stick it on your mirror instead. Recognize your power leak triggers, and stop giving your power — your choices, your actions, and your opinions — to someone or something else to manage for you.

Stop being the helpless passenger in your life, and start being the confident driver.

STOP giving YOURSELF away.

Empowering yourself is key to lifting your potential, loving your passions, and living your purpose. It will literally set you free.

Are you ready to do this? Of course, you are!

How will YOU claim your power TODAY?

Please visit www.ToniCay.com for more information and to get your free welcome gift.