What Does it Mean to be Empowered?

I’ve always been extremely passionate about empowerment, but for some reason, this year my interest in the topic has grown even more. I think it may have to do with the fact that I have a 5 year old daughter. She’s at that age where her independence and sense of self are starting to grow, and I want to make sure that any interaction I have with her is helping her move towards empowerment and not disempowerment. This means I’m analyzing my behaviors and asking myself why I do certain things. It’s made me realize that empowerment and disempowerment can be systemic. These are both concepts that can be learned as children. Sometimes we act without thinking, actions that arise out of our own unconsious beliefs based in disempowerment. I’m trying hard to look at myself and build my own self empowerment so that I can model this for my daughter.

What does it mean to be empowered? I found this awesome worksheet called Signs of Empowerment and Disempowerment. I cant determine which school this is from, but it’s really good. When I thought of empowerment before doing some research I thought it mainly had to do with self-worth and self-esteem. After finding this worksheet I’ve realized empowerment is so much more.