People like to feel empowered - at work, at home, at community forums, public forums, and even in society at large.
But what is empowerment? Is it just raw power to do as we please, to control people around us, to push our views thro' irregardless? Or is it freedom - of thought, of action, of the ability to decide or to put forth views without fear of retribution? Is it given to us by sanction, is it authority, is it responsibility and accountability or is it what we feel within ourselves, what we take, what we feel as our right?
My sense is none of above and a bit of all of the above!!
Empowerment comes from our own convictions, our beliefs, our will to do or achieve, our passion to do the right thing, our burning desire to fight for a cause or an objective. So it is something we can take, something we can force someone to give much like respect and stature. We can make ourselves indispensable by the strength of our character, by the purity of our moral rectitude, by our insights, by stretching out a helping hand to those that cry out often silently for help. All this you could do by just 3 things I call ICE...
I - IntegrityC - CommunicationE - Energy
Your empowerment comes from your integrity - in the way you walk the talk, by your own discipline in doing things, your strong beliefs in the Principles of right conduct and actions.
It also comes from communication and networking. How you keep people informed, how you communicate - openly, transparently, constantly and representing the facts as they are, even the bitter truth, how you present the case in terms of progress and improvements. No one will contest you when you present a case to change things for the better while accepting the present status' need for improvement.
Third and most important, energy. If you display energy to take on issues, problems, difficuties, challenges and energy to find solutions to them, you will be a magnet for people both above, below and beside you. And you will energise others and they will in turn energise and empower you..... endlessly.
So never ask for empowerment or decry its absence. Take it.... Make people give it to you willingly.... By making use of ICE....
Inner engineering - had heard so much about this program that I finally succumbed to my curiosity. Am also in a transition phase in my career and thought I had done so much of outer Engineering - Education, Networking, continuous learning of techniques and tools so felt it is time for some Inner Engineering. A three and a half day investment seemed quite appropriate as well at the Isha Centre in a scenic setting near Coimbatore. Here are some key learnings and insights for the ones interested….. First, it is a completely new journey into a realm that is beyond our normal logical, questioning mind. It calls for a leap of faith into a new dimension not easily explained by the axioms we are so familiar with in day to day life. However, it is done in a very "secular", non denominational, non-religious manner without pushing you too much. So well packaged and marketed in my view!! Second, it is an intense program both mentally and physically. You are in the program 24 hrs...
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