Empowering Women 7 steps to living your brilliance and making a difference

One of the reasons why I became a coach and a leadership mentor was to help women globally tap into their potential,  help them be successful and make a positive impact in this world. It is quite obvious that women are the most untapped resource with such tremendous potential, that if one was to grant permission to all women of the world to step into their gifts and show up fully, a remarkable global shift would take place where women all over would find it in them to make what they never thought possible a reality. This is why we need women empowerment.

Unfortunately the reality seems to be far removed from what is actually possible and so a need arises for women to step it up and rise into their brilliance, so they can make a positive contribution to this world. To help you do just that, here are 7 steps to help you get there.

1. Own up
Know your worth. Invest some time getting to know yourself, your values, your strengths and unique set of gifts and talents. Find your passion, forliving our passion is the key to a happy and fulfilled life. In other words, be your best fan!

2. Imagine it
Create a vision, a purpose for your life, and keep playing that vision in your head. Walt Disney said: “If you can dream it, you can do it”. Find your dream, and then set about making it a reality. Your life is created first in your mind, then in the world. Here’s a secret: what you focus on grows, so focus on the things you really want and watch them materialise!

3. Do the things you fear
If you are not stretching out of your comfort zone, you are not growing. Fear is a precursor of change; learn to accept it as a challenge that will lead you to bigger and better things. Be realistic, be prepared to fail and make mistakes, as this will give you an amazing opportunity to learn and evolve.

4. Get thick and start caring
I don’t mean this literally! But in order to move forward you will need to develop a thick skin. Not everyone is going to be supportive of your changes; their issue, not yours. Don’t make assumptions and do not take things personally. If you come  from a place of knowing yourself then external factors will have very little influence over you. Know which life you aspire to live, do the hard work and let others worry about their own lives!

5. Slay your gremlins
Gremlins are those internal voices responsible for telling us self-limitingand scary stories in our head, which influence our actions. As our inner critic, they try to control all our actions and keep us safe and into our comfort zone. How do you slay them you ask? Simply notice them, get to know them; you will learn very quickly that you are not your gremlin and that your gremlin has no real hold on you.

6. Make time for yourself
Women lead very busy lives – we work, we look after the home, we take care of our children’s and the family’s needs, the responsibilities just seem to pile up. This crazy lifestyle can quickly lead to stress and exhaustion, as we feel overwhelmed by the demands of our time. Making time for yourself to rest and restore not just your body, but your mind and spirit are critical. Set a routine around this “me time”. Book it on your agenda and never miss it! Meditate, exercise, catch up with friends, sleep, take a relaxing bath … these are some of the most important success habits to commit to if you want to stay on top of it all.

7. Share the love!
Be a change maker. The world if full of women who, like you, possess amazing unique gifts just waiting to be shared with the world. Remove yourself from people or situations that bring negativity and judgement, and drain your energy and motivation. Try to always speak positively and uplift others with your words and actions, be a role model and inspire others to follow suit. Here’s to empowered women all over, may you share your gifts with the world, and raise above all  fear, obstacles and challenges; may you be determined to succeed and show the world what you have to offer! With much love and admiration to all courageous women out there.