To increase our personal power as women, we must come to know who we really are and be true to ourselves.
If we do not know who we really are, it becomes very hard to set boundaries around what is acceptable to us and what is not acceptable. And when we do not have those boundaries around us, we tend to get sucked into other people's stuff. No boundaries, and taking in other people' stuff all contributes to our wearing masks and thus having a lack of authenticity.
Without boundaries we are also more externally driven. We rather receive advice than listen to our own inner voice. And when we don't have those boundaries because we really don't know who we are, we usually put whatever is external on a pedestal. Once again we give our power away.
The first thing to do to change this around is ask ourselves: Who am I really? We may need to go back to this question on a regular basis and to sit with it for a while.
Next, we need to start turning within. You can do this using various strategies that will allow you to quiet your mind and to hear your inner voice. You can also do some journaling and read some personal development materials.
We do not need to cut out the external completely to go within, otherwise we may just create fear for ourselves. Everything done in baby steps is easier and less overwhelming.
With time, we start to realize a sense of oneness with the external and internal world. Once you start trusting your internal world to a larger extent, you care less what others think, you can be more authentic, and you can establish and follow your boundaries.
You come to know that what others think is there baggage and not yours. When this happens, you may start thinking that this is your Ego speaking. It can be. At other times it is just an awareness. You are not judging the other, but simply more aware of their reaction.
Your clue to knowing if it is your Ego kicking in is you might feel angry by another person's reaction. You may actually feel self righteous. You may have a button or two being pushed.
Something that often occurs during this stage of internal development is that you start second guessing yourself, because a button within was pushed by another. The danger with second guessing ourselves is that it leads to confusion. The confusion then takes you away form the knowing you might of had within.
If you are confused, take a moment to connect with your inner self/your Essence; speak to it, ask it the question: "Essence, I need to know if this is truth or illusion. Please show me as gently and as positively as possible. What is it that I am still not understanding? Thank you."
As we learn to establish boundaries, we actually develop a thicker skin that will allow us to be truer to ourselves.
The secret is to prioritize where and with whom you would like to establish boundaries. I suggest you start with one relationship at a time, otherwise it could be too overwhelming.
Learn To Be Your Own wizard.
Lynette
http://www.formulatomanifest.com
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