Individual empowerment is not about telling others that they are wrong, that what they believe is not true or keeping others from being their best. It is not about living a lie because you are scared of your own feelings and desires.
You can only empower others by being an inspiration and sharing the change in ourselves. Telling yourself or someone else that you are wrong for your feelings, your gender, your spiritual or religious beliefs is not going to work. You can pretend to be someone else. You can fight your instincts every day, but you will spend ALL your time and energy fighting and not accepting yourself for who you are. Why? Is it worth it to be angry, to feel unaccepted, to feel wrong all the time?
Sure rehabilitation is something that is needed in certain cases. Violent offenders should have a chance to change, but changing someone that uses violence is not what this post is about.
The last non-empowering news link that stuck in my head was about torturing lesbians in Ecuador under the guise of curing these women. It is disgusting and inhumane. These “clinics” that heal with sexual assault and violence are not empowering anyone by fixing them. Being a lesbian is not a disease. It is a way of life for a large chunk of the population. Luckily actions have been taken to close these horrendous torture clinics down!
Are you living a lie? Are you taking out your own problems on those that are different than you? Do you know someone who does? Start paying attention to yourself and those people. What is the root of the problem? Why act one way and feel the complete opposite?
……………………………………………………….
Can you help us get to 500 and join our blograiser? You will also be part of our goal of empowering young women with resources and information. Check out this post for more information: https://writewhatuknow.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/the-500-blog-raiser-challenge/
Individual Empowerment 
Absolutely! Thanks for sharing. In the last decade, the world has really done a good job of embracing and teaching the importance of confidence and respect despite the problems that persist. I would like to see that focus also include individual confidence and respect so we can each feel like whatever are passions and gifts we should follow those.
I certainly spent enough time being a corporate person when what I really wanted was to design and write. I wasted a lot of time. I would make a terrible CEO. I may have made a lot of money and be considered a success, but I wouldn’t have been happy.
LikeLike
Those questions are so important to ask yourself, because often times a person doesn’t realize they are doing it until they do.
LikeLike