by Estelle Curiel
““ ‘I love myself.’ the quietest. Simplest. Most powerful. Revolution. Ever.””
Empowerment looks different for everyone. Some women feel most empowered when they are not wearing a bra, while other people may feel most powerful when they are performing for an audience. Whatever makes you feel empowered, it is about what is right for you. At its core, empowerment is about the freedom of just being yourself and having control over your own life and what happens to you.
We are too often told what we can and can’t do; how to act, dress, speak, or who to love and how to show it. The “empowerment” movement is an important response to this constant oppression as it allows for people’s voices to be heard, allowing them to take back control of their own narrative. This campaign aims to do just that: allow you to own your power and be free to be whoever it is you want to be. Contrary to what some might think, it is not solely aimed at women and LGBTQ+ individuals; Empowerment Month aims to help everyone discover what makes them feel powerful and in control. This campaign is about inclusivity, and what empowerment means to YOU.
To me, empowerment is having the freedom and confidence to be myself. Most people think that I am this very confident person who does not care about what others think of me, but that is not the case; I’m only human after all. Other people’s opinions affect me, just like they do everyone else, however I have learned not to let that affect my perception of my own self-worth. I’m a loud, friendly, sociable person who gets overly excited when she sees a dog, and I’m not going to pretend to be something different to please a few people who might not like that. After years of trying to please everyone and putting their needs above mine, I have learned that self-worth is a constant and it does not fluctuate based on our outward appearance or others’ opinion of us. Not everyone is going to like us, but that is okay and does not mean we are ‘not good enough’. It is a hard lesson to learn, especially for those whose power was taken away - whether that be by society’s standards, discrimination, or through direct abuse. People can start to believe that they are not worthy of kindness and respect, and it leads to them feeling extremely disempowered.
I think the key to being empowered is through self-love and acceptance. Loving yourself is a powerful thing, it teaches us how to set boundaries and enforce them, and to expect nothing less than respect from our peers. Putting yourself and your needs first is not a selfish act, but an act of love; we are reminded of its importance every time we board a plane, ‘put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others’- words that I live by. I have learnt the hard way that you cannot pour from an empty cup and that it is okay to let others know if we are not in a position to provide support and advice to others. It may sound counter-intuitive, but making sure we are in a well enough mental state before offering to help others can actually make us better and more reliable friends, and lead to being able to empower others more effectively. This ‘well enough’ might look different for everyone, listen to your body and learn about your own limits.
As discussed above, what empowers a person is very personal, and what empowers me may not empower you. That being said, here are some things that do empower me and that you might find empowering yourself:
Accepting compliments instead of deflecting them;
Self-care, whether that be a bubble bath or a movie night with my friend;
Discussing feminist issues and educating people on sexism;
Going to the gym / exercising;
Staying in and doing absolutely nothing all day;
Getting all dressed up for no particular reason;
Going out with no makeup and messy hair;
Saying no without feeling guilty;
Being kind to my body - bumps, lumps, scars and all;
Helping to empower others, whether that be fighting for equality or reminding a friend that I care about them and am grateful for having them in my life;
Just being utterly and unapologetically myself.
This article was written as part of our Empowerment Month campaign. This year the month of March is dedicated to all things that make us feel empowered or just generally what it means to us.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Kent RaG or any of its affiliates.
Photos courtesy of Estelle Curiel
Empowerment Month artwork by Eleana Gabriel
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