You know, as I progress with my writings and my career, I begin to realize that the work of motivational speakers and some members of the clergy has seemed to lean more to the side of motivation and less on the end of empowerment. What’s the difference? Well, motivation seeks to entertain and make you temporarily feel good in your current state, while empowerment strives to provide you with the tools and resources to move you to a better state. With that thought in mind, it is with the intent of empowerment that I write this blog. I hope it empowers you as it has me. Enjoy.
As much as I attempt to refrain from sounding like a traditional motivational speaker, there is one popular principle that I do agree with. It is the thought that says that the level of your belief is reflected by your level of achievement. In other words, you can never achieve more than what you can believe. Better yet, let me put it like this, “If you can believe it, you can achieve it.” And while I may adhere to this school of thought, I also recognize that it’s limiting in the fact that it is not very empowering. Yes, this thought has, at times, gotten people energized and excited but has failed to empower nearly as many people as it has seemed to motivate, as many of us still seem to suffer from stagnant periods of depression and discontent. But while I may, somewhat, subscribe to the idea that you cannot achieve what you do not believe, I also understand that the power of this thought is not in what is said, but is in what is unsaid. Simply put, I understand that the success and level of your achievement does not reside in the belief of your ability, but instead is held in the belief of your identity. That’s right; your overall success is dependent upon your belief of who you are.
Over the years, I have unknowingly allowed society and various individuals define who I am. I am not good enough to do this. I am not smart enough to do that. Over the years, I have let the social norms and things spoken to me by others limit my opportunities, halt my progress, and worse, infect my mind with undesirable images of myself. The problem that this has created is that as I inadvertently accepted these thoughts as truth, my actions corresponded with the very thoughts that I had of myself, thereby limiting me to undesirable levels of achievement and discontent in my life. It is because of this that many of us are unable to have successful relationships, unable to trust, and are plagued by the fear of moving to the next levels of our lives. With that in mind, I would like to make a slight adjustment to the principle that so many others publicly recite: “The level of your achievement will never supersede the belief of your identity.” Therefore, I encourage us all to begin to develop a new understanding of who you are. For the next forty days, I challenge you to recite these few things about yourself at least three times per day:
1. I am accepted.
2. My past is my past. I have been redeemed.
3. I am loved.
4. I have been created with purpose.
5. I am secure.
6. I am free from condemnation.
7. I am significant.
Of course, there is more. Feel free to email me for a list of all of the statements and scriptures that will truly help you in creating a new understanding of your identity.
Let me know your thoughts.
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