For nearly all of us on the spiritual path, higher states of consciousness seem to come and go. What do I mean by that? We encounter moments of great understanding, aliveness, growth, and possibility. And then, just as mysteriously as these shifts emerged, they seem to somehow fade from our view. Of course, we can’t “un-know” what we know, so we can never really go backward consciously but sometimes it feels as though we aren’t moving forward either. In other words, we aren’t courageously and consistently standing in our strength and personal power, and speaking our truth in ways that can effectively create change from the status quo!

What does it mean to be a powerful woman or a powerful man? Although we’ve seen many changes since the feminist movement of the early 70s, people continue to debate what it means for a woman or a man to identify, use, and enjoy their personal power.

“As a spiritual teacher, one of the big questions I’m constantly leaning into is: How can I better support people in their continual growth, assist them with remembering their truth, and then support them as they move towards a more effective communication style, from a place of power?”

The three “key ingredients” that help me answer this question and support my clients more fully are what I refer to as “Awareness,” “Willingness,” and “Immersion or Inspired Action.”

“Awareness” is when we move from the unknown to the known! There’s a saying, “I know what I know. I know what I don’t know. And I don’t know what I don’t know.” Awareness takes us from that place of being asleep to the beginning stages of waking up to a new possibility.

“Willingness” is what happens when someone has consciously awakened to an insight, received clarity, been made aware of a way of being that is no longer serving and then shift into a willingness to transform from the heart, in such a way that they are able to shift their perspective and shift future expressions simultaneously.

“Immersion or Inspired Action” is what we experience when we spend an extended period of time bringing ourselves back to this new awareness and immerse ourselves in the direct recognition of our own expansive nature. It’s something that is typically only possible when we choose to leave behind all stories of lack, comparison, not-enoughness, and other untruths and become willing to make a commitment to take inspired action and immerse ourselves in a new way of being, and anchor an awakened mindset so deeply that every impulse to move away from it gradually melts away.

Although most of us know deep down that we need a lot more than these three dimensions. Since in our busy lives, many of us are lacking a commitment and structure for accessing these elements on a regular enough basis to genuinely and consistently stabilize our powerful expression. But most of us also know from decades of experience that to truly step into a greater expression of sustained personal power, all of us need regular, sometimes frequent opportunities for in-depth Awareness, Willingness, Immersion and Inspired Action. We must become willing to re-activate this awakened consciousness again and again, until it becomes so familiar to us that we no longer get deceived by the ego’s attempts to imitate it.

I’ve found that the first major step to shifting consciousness and appreciating my own personal power, and unique talents is to identify them, value them, take ownership of them, and have the courage to use them well and often. To help you in this process, I have created a series of affirmations (series soon to be released) that will hereby empower people as they move through the various rites of passage and embark on a journey or task where their personal power is needed.

Here’s an example of these affirmations:

Today I open myself to life’s surprises and I give myself permission to be happy in each moment of the now. I know that my life is exactly how I “think” it is, so if there’s something about it that isn’t bringing me happiness, I change my thoughts about my situation. It’s all about my perception. I have the power, courage, strength, and freedom to enjoy my life fully. I find value and joy in new, unexpected opportunities.

~ And so it is!