As we go through life, it may be hard to find people that actually want to lift us up, rather than bring us down. Whether it be in our jobs, friendships, school, or in any other aspect of our lives, it seems that there’s this continuous competition. In a world that can at times feel ruthless, it’s important to act differently. People who feel victimized or insecure don’t typically know how to show happiness for others’ victories without first trying to make them feel worse. However, the best way to lift yourself up is actually by helping lift others up in the process. No one succeeds completely by themselves and it’s essential to remember that someone else’s success isn’t automatically your failure.
When you empower someone else, you’re helping them gain confidence and showing them that someone believes in them. And empowerment isn’t just a one-way street, it’s a chain reaction. We attract achievement by what we put out into the world. You feel empowered and through that, you empower someone else to reach their fullest potential and growth. That person feels empowered and begins empowering the people around them as well. The more we take the time to empower others instead of seeing life as a competition, the more people will become empowered, confident, and happy. Now isn’t that a world we’d all like to be a part of? Below are a few simple ways you can empower those around you too!
1. Listen
Now this one seems pretty obvious, but do you realize how many times we aren’t actually listening to someone? We hear them and impatiently wait our turn to speak about how it relates to us. When we do this, we’re not actually listening to them but we’re thinking of ourselves and talking at them. To be a good listener, you have to give them your full and undivided attention. It’s important to listen to their tone, how they’re feeling, and focus on their body language. When we feel listened to, we feel important, and for a lot of us, this is something that we’re always looking for.
2. Give Sincere Compliments
Have you ever received a really good compliment? How did it make you feel? With social media giving us this vision of how we are supposed to be or look, it’s easy to criticize one another and ourselves. We want to encourage you to make it a point to tell them genuine things that you like about them. If your co-worker confides in you to let you know they have been stressed and overwhelmed at work, tell them how you admire their work ethic and dedication to do a good job. Or if you know a close friend has been insecure about the appearance of their skin lately, let them know you noticed that their skin looked glowing and ask about what skincare products they use in their beauty routine. A sincere compliment goes a long way.
3. Model Your Own Positive Traits
Others notice your characteristics and the way you carry yourself far more than you might think. Emulate what you believe in, and this positivity will rub off on those around you. Even though no one is perfect and it’s unlikely that we can be positive all of the time, it is important to behave true to yourself and your beliefs. And as a result, the people around you are likely to feel confident enough to behave true to themselves and their beliefs.
4. Be Honest and Encourage Action
Those who don’t feel empowered or confident in themselves oftentimes become complacent in their lives. They may get used to their routine and get scared to move onto something out of their comfort zone. As their friend, it’s crucial for you to be honest with them about their potential and encourage them to make active changes so that they can reach that potential. Sometimes, we just need to hear that we’re capable of someone else to actually believe it.
5. Keep Them Accountable
If the person said they’d do something but continuously fails to follow through, you need to hold them accountable. Sometimes when people are scared of doing something new or are chronic procrastinators, they need a little extra push. Whether it’s asking if they sent out their resume or why they didn’t come to the fitness class with you, by holding them accountable you’re teaching them to hold themselves accountable as well.
6. Celebrate Their Successes
Even if they don’t make a big deal about their successes, it’s critical that you celebrate them. The more they feel good about their successes, the more they’ll strive to reach for new goals. Whether she finally got that promotion at work or got up the courage to talk to that guy she was interested in. Regardless of whether the success was big or small, it feels good when others notice your wins.
