Affirmations for Self-Empowerment

self empowerment

Self-empowerment comes from accepting ourselves as we are, focusing on our strengths and admitting our weaknesses as part of our humanity and personal path. To do so means letting of ego and self-centeredness and agreeing to be who we really are inside. This means we say yes to ourselves and yes to life. There is no greater source of joy, happiness and self-empowerment.

One way we can begin to let go of ourselves is to change the way we think. By interupting our usual, melodramatic, dramatic, or self-deprecating thoughts, and replacing them with accepting or self-empowering thoughts, we can begin to change our emotions as well.

Gaining control of what we think isn’t easy. Thoughts become patterns and habits, until, much of what we thought yesterday makes up our thinking today. This means that changing how we think is a slow, difficult process that requires us to pay close attention to how we talk inside our own minds. Therapists call this self-talk and not how self-talk makes up our emotions and reactions from moment to moment.

This means self-talk is the key to self-empowerment, just as it is the means of self-inhibition. What we tell ourselves matters more than anything we do or say out loud. We literally work ourselves into emotional frenzies by letting a small emotion or event spark angry internal words or long rants of self-hatred and regret.

When our minds start running away with us, like this, we have to catch them. We do this by stopping our negative thoughts and replacing them with a positive thought, called a positive affirmation. Examples of empowering affirmations are as follows. It helps to remember a few so that we can use them to replace negative thoughts and beliefs when we catch them:

I have many strengths and skills. I choose to be happy instead. I can set reasonable goals and meet them. I agree to take small, reasonable steps toward my goal. I am proud of myself for ______ I care about myself no matter what. I am confident and relaxed. Of course I make mistakes, but everyone does, and I can make up for it by doing better next time. I learn from my mistakes, that is how I grow as a person. I embrace my entire self, right now, how I am. I choose to accept myself now, so I can be a better person in the future. There is nothing about myself I cannot either change or accept when I choose to. I will not use a mistake as an excuse to talk down to myself. I refuse to identify solely with my negative traits.

Each affirmation is intended to stop negative or hurtful self-talk, and also to end denials and dramas. For example, we often have thoughts we wish to reject or hide from others, When we feel this way, it changes how we interact with and feel toward other people. Our unwanted thoughts can easily isolate us, make us feel angry or ashamed and cause us to become reclusive and stop trying. In such cases, it is a good idea to use an affirmation such as I accept my whole self, right now. This thought stops the denial and internal war and allows us to return to ourselves and be in the moment.

We should never allow our minds to take over long enough to make us feel depressed, unworthy, or out of control. The fact is, our brains can be our best friends or our worst enemy. We get to choose which voice we listen to, and which one we allow to speak. While we cannot be completely rid of negative thoughts, we don’t have to identify with them, and we don’t have to let them be the only thoughts in our heads. This is the true self-empowerment: The power we have over ourselves, our minds, our thoughts and our emotions.
We must learn that we are completely in control of ourselves, and that our personal experience comes from within us, only. Once we take control of this internal world and make it a safe, loving place, we are immediately empowered to go out and find our own true happiness and bliss. It comes when we choose to love ourselves for who we are right now.

Learn how to attract positive energy into your life and heal with the healing touch techniques

Depression Testing An Honest Look at Yourself

There are times in everyones life when depression presents itself. The death of a loved one, losing a job, and even struggling financially can all contribute to a depressed feeling. Although rates of depression are typically higher in women than men, everyone can experience it at times. Often, it is brought on by a combination of things. Maybe a person has lost their job and is unable to find a new one right away. The person is dealing with the job loss and financial issues then become a factor as well. Many families are predisposed to having depression and that coupled with something tragic happening may cause the illness to present itself. The familial depression can be either a genetic or a learned trait. Whats important to note is that depression is an illness that can be treated successfully.

Below are listed some questions that may help you to determine if you are depressed. Although depression is easily diagnosed by trained medical professionals, depression can manifest itself in ways to disguise the illness to the person suffering from it. Maybe you are sleeping for hours on end, unable to drag yourself out of bed. Maybe youre eating patterns are changing from eating healthy to barely eating anything at all. Maybe your love of certain hobbies has nearly gone and you just dont enjoy them anymore. These can all be clues as to a possible illness of depression. Take the time to honestly answer the questions below. If you find you are answering yes to more than two of the questions, you should most likely seek professional medical help. In no way are these questions meant to be a substitute for trained medical help.

Depression Test Questions
1. Are you crying often?
2. Do you feel sad or gloomy?
3. Have your sleeping patterns changed (sleeping more/sleeping less/unable to sleep)?
4. Have you lost interest in things you normally enjoy doing?
5. Has anyone who knows you well commented on your changed mood?
6. Has your relationship to food changed (eating more/less/not at all)?
7. Do you experience any feelings of guilt?
8. Do you think about ending your own life?
9. Are you irritable?
10. Does your perception of life seem hopeless?
11. Has your ability to concentrate on tasks or duties declined?

While these are some questions that can help in determining if you are depressed, it is important to answer them honestly and forthright. If you find you have answered yes to two or more of the questions, it is important to seek professional medical help. Physicians and psychiatrists are able to quickly and accurately diagnose depression. You can help in the process by discussing with your doctor any of the questions you answer yes to above.

For many people experiencing depression there can be feelings of hopelessness. It is important to know that depression can be easily treated in a variety of ways. There are numerous anti-depression medications on the market today and your doctor will know which one should work best for you. If for some reason the medication doesnt work as well as you need, your doctor can determine alternative medications to try and may even suggest things for you to do on your own.

Depression self-help techniques can include positive thinking, daily exercise, acupuncture, and even journaling. Positive thinking helps a person to not dwell on the negative and begin to see the positives in their life. Daily exercise has been proven to increase the level of endorphins, a hormone directly related to an elevated mood. Acupuncture has been used for years in the fight against depression. It may take several sessions to see results but people who have had success with this modality swear by it. Journaling can help to get any anger or other issues out, especially in people who dont easily show emotions. Determining what is causing the depression can help to aid in getting over the illness, and oftentimes journaling can help a person to see what might not otherwise be obvious to them.

If you or a loved one is experiencing depression, know that it can be cured and that life can get back to normal in a relatively short period of time. It may take professional intervention, but millions of people have had success with medications and/or a combination of medications and self-help techniques. You dont need to suffer with your depression if you take the steps needed to combat the illness.

Stress relief is the first step t overcoming depression – check out this article on how to relief stress

Common Forms of Disabilities

To paraphrase the term disability, as defined by the Social Security Administration, is a mental or psychical impairment that lasts 12 months or more. Typically, individuals that qualify for a disability are unable to support themselves. Disability benefits are a kind of safety net that is provided by the United States government in the event of a life-changing illness or event that destroys your ability to be a productive member of society. While you certainly will not be wealthy if youre forced to live off disability checks, you should be able to acquire housing, food, and basic clothing with the program.

This can happen to anyone.

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Dont think youll ever need disability protection? We hope you never will, however, the reality is that thousands of Americans each year that are just like you that end up needing this type of protection anyway. Some will need to enroll due to unexpected car accidents while others will may receive a sudden diagnosis on a regular check up from the doctor.

Believe it or not, you probably already have someone in your life thats struggling with a common disability. Youll find a list of some of the most common issues below. Keep in mind that this is by no means a comprehensive list:

Cancer: This disease comes in many forms: the lungs, breasts, and testicles can all be affected by this growth of cells within the body. As cancer progresses, maintaining a normal lifestyle becomes increasingly difficult.

Mental Disorders: These are ailments that affect the mind, not the body and are extremely broad in scope. Some mental disorders that are becoming more frequently diagnosed is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.

Respiratory Disorders: Often this can be the result of years of smoking, but it doesnt have to be. This condition can also be acquired by people that have worked around harsh chemicals for many years in addition to farmers that inhale too many pathogens.

Poor Immune System \ Miscellaneous: There are of course a variety of ailments that are not able to be covered here. Also, some health conditions are extremely rare and might not be discovered previously. Fortunately, disability payments can be used to order health related supplies such as medicine, incontinence products, diapers, and other preventative care items.

Are You Eligible to Start Receiving Benefits? Heres what to do next.

The first thing you need to do is consult with a doctor on whether or not you in fact have a mental or psychical disability. A doctor will help provide honest advice about the severity of your condition in addition to providing general tips for improving your condition. The second action youll want to take is to go to the Social Security Administrations Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool or B.E.S.T. These should be your first steps when determining a disability.