The Tribune

By MICHELLE MILLER

IT IS said that courage is not the absence of fear, but the realisation that some things are more important than fear. The courage to stand up for yourself is one of those things. And by standing up for yourself, I mean standing up for your own self-empowerment.

This may not be an ordinary concept, yet it is a key element for living a meaningful life. Such a notion takes courage and confidence; to break away from the habit of wasting time.

I am sure you know a good number of folks who live in a state of being stressed and overwhelmed. They get busy ‘doing something close to nothing’ and after it is all said and done there is a whole lot more said than done.

Standing up for yourself enables you to experience your life in a completely new way. You begin to be more deliberate about your time and you pay attention to how you are living your life.

In most instances, before you can stand up for yourself, there is a crucial need to stand up to yourself. Usually your worst enemy is the ‘inner me’. Challenge yourself to get over yourself and adopt a more positive self-view.

In every moment you make choices about what you will or will not do. As such, your life is a series of negotiations and choices. You choose whether to grow or remain the same, whether to go after your goals or stick with your excuses and whether you stand, up for yourself or allow yourself to go unchallenged.

Whatever you choose, it is your life and you are the CRO (chief responsibility officer).

Standing up for yourself is an empowering concept. However, before standing up, focus on clarifying the foundation you are standing on. Many become easily focused on building a career, marriage, family, church, relationship, business etc, without building a solid foundation within themselves.

This is like building on the sand. In truth, only what you build within yourself will survive the test of time. Standing up for yourself is about owning your power to be courageous, to be fearless by looking fear dead in the eye and say, “Bring it. I gat this”.

This radical approach may not be for everybody. You must be willing to expand the way you define yourself and see yourself as an already empowered individual with the capacity to live an upstanding life.

The question is, do you have the courage to take accept this position? Take a long hard look at where you are now in your life – are you satisfied with your results? Is there more living to be experienced in your life? Your life is the result of your current thinking skills.

If you are to experience anything new you must begin to think in a new way. This takes personal commitment and sincere determination. It’s time to step up and give yourself a chance to change your life in a meaningful way. Remember, real change takes time and a specific strategy. Consider engaging the support a life coach to help you make your changes stick.

Leader to leader, remember that life is not a dress rehearsal. It is always live and in living colour. Make today the day that stand up for yourself in order to live the upstanding life that you love.

What do you think?

Please send your comments to coaching242@yahoo.com or call 429-6770.

• Michelle M Miller is a certified life coach and leadership expert. Questions or comments can be sent via snail mail to PO Box CB-13060 or visit www.michellemmiller.com.