Succeeding through Empowerment

Good Sunday morning friends! I’ve already been up for several hours and am two cups of coffee deep, so I am ready to rock n’ roll! Some days, I literally have no idea where my energy comes from, but today I am so grateful to wake up feelin’ good and inspired!

This morning I finished the book The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines. For those of you who do not know them, they are the hosts of the Fixer-Upper show on HGTV. I happened to stumble upon Fixer-Upper one day while scrolling through Netflix. I usually don’t watch shows like these, but for some reason I decided to see what it was about. Prior to this show, I had no idea who Chip and Joanna Gaines were, but once I started watching their show, I was hooked. For me, it wasn’t just about the homes they were flipping and decorating with immaculate taste, it was how they opened up their hearts and helped people bring their families together through designing their homes. Since I’ve started watching the show I have purchased their new book and magazine because their work inspires me to create with an open heart.

What really draws me to this family-focused couple, is their commitment to serving others. From their clients to their design team, they are always putting others first. I won’t give away any of the best stories, but one of them stood out to me the most. They described a difficult financial time in their lives where they had no money to pay their work crew who helped them flip homes. One day they were gifted with money that would’ve put them ahead financially, but instead they decided to take care of their people and pay them first. That blew me away…seriously it did. It would’ve been easier to pay themselves first to feel more comfortable, but instead they put the needs of those they cared about before them. How amazing is this?

When I started reflecting on their story, I realized how pertinent giving and empowering those around us really is to our own success. I would argue that empowering others is the single most powerful tool we have available. But so often it goes unused. Why you ask? Because it requires us to stop thinking about ourselves…and this does not come naturally to most people. It’s a practice that has to be worked at and reflected on regularly. Empowering others through giving is not only demonstrated through financial giving, but also in the way we treat those around us. I know that this is something I’ve been thinking about a lot and how I can improve in this area.

I’m sure anyone reading this post has had experiences where others have brought them down either intentionally or un-intentionally. I know I have. I have had the moments of joy that were squashed by someone’s jealousy. I have no doubt that I have in turn squashed someone else’s joy because of my jealousy. I have experienced situations where others make assumptions about me and would rather see me fail. I have felt this through their negative words and actions. I have been laughed at instead of held up in vulnerable moments. I have been scoffed at instead of encouraged. When people are succeeding and achieving great things, many people will balk at that cut them down. The reason we do this is rooted in nothing else but our own insecurities.

When we choose not to empower those around us the result is this: It destroys partnership. It kills relationships. It harbors negativity. It stalls growth and improvement.

 

So what does empowerment look like? And what is the impact of empowering those around you?

I’m so glad you asked friends, because this such an important area to talk about. Empowering people is celebrating their success. It’s standing up for others when they don’t have a voice. Empowerment is giving to others before giving to ourselves. Empowering is building up each other’s confidence through positive feedback and kindness. The way we empower is felt through our actions and the language we choose to use. There are so many positive words to choose from and there is no limit on how much we use them. When my sisters and brothers succeed…I succeed. I hope that others feel the same way when I’m succeeding. Empowering others inspires joy, peace, and love. Not just for ourselves, but for everyone around us. It pushes forward creativity because we help each other work past our fears and insecurities.

I was once told that I have a romantic view of how people work together. I was baffled at this statement. If I’m in an environment where respecting those around me and building up my peers is unrealistic, then the only conclusion I have drawn is this: I am in the wrong place. I’m not doing the wrong thing and I certainly do not have a romantic view of relationships and teams. I just know what works well and empowering those around me does just that. Had Joanna and Chip Gaines put themselves first in that financial crisis, they may not have the team that they do today.

In the moments where I’m not feeling empowered, I think about this quote:

“What comes out of someone else’s mouth is a reflection of their heart, not yours”. -Lysa Terkeurst

Empowerment strengthens the heart and builds the hearts of others. Friends, there is just nothing more fulfilling than that.

With love,

Keena