Take Your Power Back

Building on your strengths is often difficult when aspiring to accomplish your goals. Sometimes, regardless of how much you believe in yourself, the road to success proves to be more difficult to maneuver than you anticipated. Rest assured that you can make a change because it is not the road that is the problem, but how you choose to travel. You must learn to be your biggest supporter, or you just may find it seemingly impossible to achieve success.

Often times, we allow others to dictate who we are, what we will become, and what we will accomplish. In many cases, these opinions come from a preconceived notion about our talents, skills, and abilities. It is decided for us what we are capable of and where our shortcomings lie. Without so much as a thought, we allow these opinions to become the guiding principles by which we live.

Deep down in the core of your being, you know who you are and may be in tune with who you are to become. But when you give others the power to decide the quality of your life, you become confined within those limitations leaving your goals, dreams, and aspirations a distant memory. Inevitably, we hide behind a wall of disappointment and failure.

Who are you outside of what people think about you? How focused are you on the public opinion of you? Do you value your opinion of yourself as much as you value the opinion of others? If your complete focus is on how people perceive you, it is time to change your mindset. YOU should be your worst critic and at the same time your biggest cheerleader. You absolutely cannot be that for yourself if you allow others to taint your view of how you see yourself.

People will always have an opinion, as they should. Whether or not those opinions lift you up or put you down is ultimately up to you. When you find yourself surrounded by people who see only the negative, it becomes a challenge to navigate your way through harsh criticisms and constant judgment. Knowing who you are deep down inside gives you a leg to stand on in the presence of opposition.

• What characteristics define who you are?
• What are your most important values?
• What are your goals and aspirations?

Remember that what God has created in you is who you are. Be true to that because that’s the only way you can successfully live in this world. We are each created in His image with qualities and characteristics of our own that may very well separate us from others. It is our charge to own those qualities and become who God created us to be.

You must always keep in mind who you are and walk in that daily. The opinions and actions of people as well as life circumstances should not block who you are meant to be. Give nothing or no one the power over your existence that can take away from the beauty that God has created in you. Your actions, attitude, and beliefs about yourself should reflect how you desire to live your life. This must be exhibited in every area of your life every day.

Resist being a pawn in the chess game of your own life, willingly allowing others to manipulate your every move. Many of us have lived this way for so long that it seems unthinkable to begin to experience life in a different way. Anger, resentment, self-pity, and our unwillingness to forgive settle in our hearts causing us to walk through our lives living in doubt of a better day. As a result, we fail to experience the beauty that life has to offer

So how do you block out those things that cause you to remain in the shadows of what you could have been or what you should have done? It is incredibly important to broaden your perspective on people and the circumstances that make up your life experiences. You must come to the realization that the only person you can change is you. It is also important to know that while people voice their concerns about situations concerning you, it is ultimately up to you as to how you allow it to affect your life. Regardless of what comes your way, be reminded of who you are, stay focused on where you are going, and resist the power of public opinion that aims to pull you away from the road which you travel.

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