How To Inspire Your Inner Superhero

By Carley Hauck

When is a time that you realized that you gave away your power? This is just one of the mindful inquiries asked in the mindfulness and authenticity 10-day challenge that I co-led this October. In this challenge, I engaged with over 400 people, many of whom came from the mindful.org community.  

After an amazing 10 days of hearing people’s deepest thoughts, concerns, and challenges, I witnessed ways that people gave away their power. I heard how the human experience of saying no, listening to the wisdom within, and aligning our actions accordingly is difficult, especially when one is practicing with others who don’t have a shared skill set or language of mindfulness and authenticity.  

The internal state of feeling centered and leading from a place of wisdom and power is empowerment.  Through mindful attention, we can listen to what we are authentically feeling and needing, and align our actions around what is true in order to feel more empowered in our lives.   

We have all had experiences where we spoke our truth, including myself, and it was judged or dismissed — or even or worse resulted in love and/or support taken away. Based on these experiences, some of us move into people-pleasing behaviors and often say yes or nothing at all, when we really want to say NO.  How you give away and regain your power is an important piece of moving toward a place of authenticity and greater well-being.

Below are some statements shared from my mindful community about empowerment:

How do I give away my power?
• “When I listen to the critical and judgmental thoughts that disempower my worth, potential, and abilities.”
• “When I am going too fast.”
• “When I say yes, when I really mean no, or not yet.”
• “When I don't listen to my feelings and needs.”
• “When I don't stick up for myself and share my feelings and needs with others.”
• “When I am not taking good care of myself with exercise, meditation, nutrition,
connection, sleep, self care, etc.”

How do I gain power?
• “When I slow down.”
• “When I ask for support.”
• “When I really listen and then take care and support my feelings and needs in action.”
• “When I share my truth in a kind and skillful way.”
• “When I claim my inherent good worth, kindness, and competence in the world.”
• “When I surround myself with people who love and accept me for me.”
• “When I spend time in nature.”
• “When I engage in healthy practices that nourish my mind, body, and heart like exercise, sleep, healthy food, connection, play, learning, and meditation.
• “When I feel engaged in a community or group with a shared goal or intention.”
• “When I feel on purpose in my life.”
• “When I am creating.”
• “When I am helping others.”

Daily Power Practice

When we feel more empowered, we have the capacity to better stand up for what we feel and need. Try this practice to feel powerful in all areas of your life:

Close your eyes and let your awareness turn inside to your breathing and your body.  

Breathe deeply from your belly until you feel your body and mind relax.  

Connect to the power within you and outside of you by imagining light flowing into the top of your scalp and through your body to the bottom of your feet.

Think of a time during the last few days when you gave away your power.  

Do a scan of your body from the top of your head to the body of your feet, what do you notice?  Where is the body feeling tightness or tension?  Allow whatever to arise to be greeted with acceptance.  Turn towards all physical sensations with kindness and allowing. What emotion is present, fear, anger, and/or confusion? All emotions are welcome.

What is the story you are telling yourself?

Now ask yourself: “How old is this part of you that believes/is experiencing this story?
 
Tell yourself, “I transform and let go.” You are letting go of this thought so that it has no power over you.  

Open your eyes and shake it off.  Do a few movements in your body to somatically discharge any old, disempowering beliefs that do not serve you.  

Now bring awareness to your belly, connect to your strength, the talents that you have been cultivating for years, your resilience, and your good worth. Feel the many ways that you are a powerful person. What new and empowered thought can you feel right now?  
As you move into the rest of your day, come back to the wise and strong person that you are. Connect to this place in your belly and stand from this spot. Yes!   

A few years ago, I was dating a man for several months, whom I deeply loved and had aspirations of a long-term future with.  We came to a crossroads in our communication one challenging day and instead of him having the capacity to stay in the relationship and conversation with me, he shut down and left completely.  No contact, no repair, no resolution, here is your stuff, gone.  It was one of the most difficult experiences I have gone through and believe me I have had several in this lifetime, and expect to have more. Yet, his leaving didn’t break me, in fact it was a huge gift.  There is no lotus without the muck.  After I went through the cycles of grief and loss, my inner superhero showed up and my entire life blossomed.

My inner superhero is She-Ra. She exemplifies power, femininity, sensuality, and a fierce heart.  Her super power is compassion.  During that time, I had a mantra I said to myself daily, “Carley, I am 100% here for you no matter what.”  When I could turn towards my innate strength and wisdom, I felt empowered and could do and be anything that I put time and attention on.  

Mindfulness and compassion are two important qualities that increase our resilience.  At this pivotal time in our world, we need to cultivate both.  Mindfulness allows us to see things as they are and turn towards versus away.  We can turn towards the uncertainty and difficult feelings around the US presidential election, we can turn towards the devastating truth of climate change, we can turn towards the pleasant and unpleasant with greater wisdom and thus freedom. Compassion is “being with” the suffering of ourselves and another with a fierce heart.  Compassion in action has the ability to heal and transform the world to a place that takes the welfare of all beings into consideration.

What is your inner super hero mantra?  Here are some ideas from my inner She-Ra toolbox:
• I am paid well just for being me
• I make things happen
• I am loveable, delicious, and supported
• I have everything I need right now
• I attract love and support easily

What we feed the mind, knowingly or unknowingly deeply impacts how we orient to others, to the world, and to ourselves.  If we don’t have the capacity to train the mind, we will be moving through the world unable to access our greatest potential and thus our greater power and well being.  

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.” Mahatma Gandhi

Would you like more support to inspire your inner superhero? Yes! Join this FREE LIVE webinar on November 16th, 2016 at 6pm PST by clicking here.