Empowering Yourself: Color Outside the Lines

Think differently. It's one of the most powerful statements I've ever read. It reminds me, whatever my lens, view, or perspective, it matters. And, if you're a good girl, careful to keep your boat steady and waters calm, it's time to raise the tide. Look deeper at how you govern you. You empower yourself, create your own life, and happiness when you color outside the lines. Here are a few creative ways to begin. Beat Your Own Drum Every band has a great drummer. She plays her notes in her key. And, although it's a collaboration with the other players, she never leaves her notes. She doesn't because, well, they're hers. She's doing her own thing. In life, we often try to take on the notes and sounds of others, and it doesn't fit. It's not suppose to. If your the drummer, don't try to sound like a guitar. You'll feel out of tune. You'll be out of tune. If you're a drummer, don't try to groove like a trumpet. Your sound is your sound. Play in your key. Beat your own drum. Create Your Own Rules Rules are everywhere you look. We've got them for driving, working, but what about living? Who makes those rules in your life? Let's make sure it's you. The secret to empowering yourself and creating your own life is to design a set of rules you want to live by. Gina, a speech therapist, had a way of "setting things right" when supervisors wanted to place more in her lap. She would explain, "I'm good at what I do because I don't overwhelm myself." "That's why clients get my best." In a direct, yet professional way, she is creating her own rules. Make no mistake, they got the message loud and clear. "If you want me to be good. . . let me do my thing." Honor Your Heart One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to dismiss what deeply moves and matters to you. Your heart is no soft topic. Since the beginning of time, men and women have relied on their hearts to give them purpose and meaning. When you pull from one of the most powerful sources on earth, deep inside of you. . . you can move mountains. Don't allow others to make light of what moves you, by your passivity. When something matters to you, speak up, stand up. Don't let up. Think differently. About how you move through the world. Are you a drummer playing in your key or someone else's? Your tune, view, lens, and perspective, matters. So don't be afraid to color outside the lines. And, if it's your hearts desire, remove the lines altogether. Copyright 2011. Asia Sharif-Clark. All rights reserved.