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April – June 2014
www.deltalivingmagazine.com
By Dr. Danielle Dowling
d@danielle-dowling.com
W
e love to bandy the word "empow-
ered" about, don’t we? We see it in
on the cover of self-help books, our yoga teach-
er breathes it in our ear during Sukhasana, and
it fills the taglines of one million life coaches,
the world over.
But what does it even mean?
When we peel back the layers, what are we
talking about when we talk about empower-
ment? We’re saying we want control over our
lives.That we can give ourselves permission to
do just about anything.
We’re the ones driving this car.
And when we’re really, truly empowered,we
feel alive; connected; at peace.Well, that certain-
ly sounds nice, doesn’t it? Here are seven ways
you can feel more peaceful and empowered —
starting today.
Use visualization to
release your painful
thoughts.
In your mind’s eye, place negative thoughts
on leaves and watch them gently float away
downstream, or place the troubling words on
cars of a freight train and watch them zoom
into the distance.When I do these exercises, I
place distance between myself and what’s both-
ering me; I feel lighter and brighter almost im-
mediately.
Ask someone else (or
the universe) for what
you need most.
Maybe you need someone to listen to you
or to help you problem-solve. Maybe you need
a favor, a massage, a date with your partner or
friend. I regularly ask the universe for a mes-
sage, and I always get what’s perfect for me at
the time.
Be productive.
Nothing cures anxiety like action,
and the effort we put into avoiding
things is usually about triple the effort required
to actually do that thing. Productivity makes
you feel clever and driven and accomplished –
it elevates your mood significantly. Once I get
one thing done, I feel a (sometimes dispropor-
tionate) sense of accomplishment, and I’m usu-
ally motivated to get other things done. So look
around you and start something.
Focus on the thought “I
trust that what is in my
and the world’s highest
interest will manifest,” or “I
know I can afford to relax.”
I surrender my attachment to outcome. Re-
lease the need to have all the answers upfront.
Get out of your own way. Stop interrupting the
flow of what is on its way to you – don’t try
to manipulate and manage every moment of
your life.
Marvel in collaboration.
The world is one gigantic partner-
ship of human beings.Whether you’re
a people-person or an introvert, have the cour-
age to see people as teammates rather than
competition.There are so many things we sim-
ply cannot do without the help of others.
Look around. Outside of the natural world,
everything you see has been thought of by a
human, designed by a human, or made by a hu-
man. Spectacular, no? We never meet the ma-
jority of people who touch our lives, but know-
ing that almost every part of our day is possible
because of what another human dreamed up is
totally breathtaking.
Let love in.
Surround yourself with loving and
supportive relationships. Filling your
life with people who lift you up changes ev-
erything – your health, your energy levels, how
you feel about your career, who you date.
We all deserve to be in rich, nourishing rela-
tionships; you also have the right to give your-
self space and distance in certain relationships,
and to release others altogether. Practice forgiv-
ing those who have let you down or hurt you.
They were only doing the best they could with
what they have and if they could do better, they
would. If they don’t love themselves, it’s difficult
to know how to love someone else.
Practice adaptability.
Change is one of the only certain
things in life, so we might as well try to
accept it and view it as a positive.You might not
be able to control life events, but you can con-
trol how you respond to them. So bend a little,
look around the corner to see what’s coming,
inspect that cloud for its silver lining, and have
faith that this, too, is a learning experience.
We often view personal peace and empow-
erment as nearly impossible goals – something
reserved for monks on far-flung mountaintops.
But the truth is, even the most stressed of us
can create a space for inner peace and personal
power. It’s yours
for the taking.
Dr. Danielle Dowling is a life coach, psychologist and blogger. She’s an intuitive strategist working with women who
are ready to stop compromising on the things that matter most – self-realization, soulful companionship and accessing in-
nate power. Her goal is to motivate women to live inspiring lives; to help them experience a life better lived and to help
women achieve their dreams whatever they may be. When she’s not coaching or clicking away on her keyboard you can
find Danielle out in nature – the blue skies and greenery of Southern California light her up, hanging out with her love-
ly fiancé, drinking a green juice, stretching her way through yoga or laughing it up with close girlfriends! Connect with
Danielle on www.twitter.com/DDowling_ and www.pinterest.com/dedowling/. Ready to really step up your game?
Hire her www.danielle-dowling.com.You won’t regret it.
Empowered Life
Ways to Lead a Fulfilling
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