Empowerment is a word that I like a lot. I have been writing a lot about empowerment lately. As long as the urge is there, I trust that there is a reason for it.
I believe empowerment to be like a mission in my life – empowering myself and others. That is what my father taught me in the years that we worked together. He taught me to share the knowledge and to share the accomplishments. He was a wonderful teacher.
There is a very good by titled “Empowerment” by John Randolph Price. There is another book by him called “The Angels within Us” that I also love. His approach is always reminding us of our infinite potential.
Do we empower our family, our children, our employees? Or do we go on to create dependent beings with low self confidence and motivation? Do we serve our ego or a higher purpose?
There was a conference in Fethiye a couple months ago by the famous child psychiatrist Prof. Yankı Yazgan. He is a professor at the Medical School in Marmara University in Istanbul and he is also the author of about 10 books on brain development and child and adolescent development. He also writes for the national Akşam Newspaper weekly.
I had met him a couple years ago in a training and we were among the 12-13 people who were to watch the test run of a new program. We had spent about 2 days together and had invited him to give a conference in Fethiye. He accepted. Although it took over a year for it to actualize, he did keep his promise and gave a two hour conference to parents and teachers on April 24th, 2008. The title of the conference was: “Being a Parent and an Educator in the Times of Change”.
Of all the things that Prof. Yazgan said, what I stood out for the most was - the importance of letting a child experience and learn through experience.
We are not here to do for them; we are here to allow them and create the space for them to learn and accomplish for themselves. No matter how we describe it , or which words we use – the real word is Empowerment.
Michell Cassou says “We live in a time in which most people believe there is not much inside them, only what teachers, parents, and others have out there.” They are all here to uncover the potentials that are waiting to be expressed and used.
Empowerment, for whom?
Empowerment is a key word for me. I had the chance to work with teachers who believed in empowerment. I was told to aid people who wanted to discover their true self and true path. My teachers told me to be aware that I can only share possibilities and options, and I can encourage if they want to be encouraged. I can support, if there is anyone who wants to be supported. I may answer if I am asked. However, I was also told that I should be wise enough to discover that I am no wiser than anyone I know. Empowerment was the key word I was lucky enough to learn through experience. I was empowered and learned to accept that it is the only way.
Now, I cannot be one of those who know it all, even if I do know some. I cannot be one of those of who preach a lot, I can only share.
In my early years when I would see a healer or teacher who would go on to share how wonderful or great he or she was, I would go back to my own teachers and ask why they did not do the same since they knew a lot too, and why was I not to share openly what I knew. I wanted to show that I knew too. Almost in union they would reply “Be yourself, then they will know.”
I need to keep in mind that I do not heal anyone. I can only show the options.
Maybe I can do first aid and clean up the wounds. But where did the wounds came from? Why are they there? And who wants them there and for what?
And you know what, I may have the answers to all of these questions, but again this is not what matters. It is not important that I discover the answers.
It is important that I am able to create the desire in a person to want to discover their own answers.
And once the desire is there, they will find their answers - no matter what. At that point, I may be a part of their journey in discovering better ways to find out and deal with what they discover. If they want it; if they choose it; if they accept it.
This is not how I had thought how healing would work, but this is where I am right now.
I thank my teachers and masters of all different traditions and cultures. You give me hope and taught me to trust what is in our core.
I did say a lot today.
Where did it come from?
Hopefully from my heart.
One final quote from Louise Hay:
“Ask for help. Tell Life what you want, and allow it to happen.”
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With love and light...
Z.
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Affirmation of the Week:
“I am well structured and balanced.”
Louise L. Hay
Quote of the Week:
“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived.”
Thomas Merton
Suggested Reading:
“The Life You Were Born To Live” By Dan Millman
The Turkish translation of the book may be found under the name “Hayatınızın Amacı”.
