What is your inner power? Your Inner Power is the energy that resides within you, the internal discussions and self-talk that shape your outlook on life. Your Power is choosing the conversations and thoughts you engage in.

As much as we'd like to think we have control over everything in our lives, we don't. But we do have control over our inner power. The totality of our life experience has helped to develop the words we continually hear and filter how we see the world. These words have been planted and grown. Our internal dialog matters. The words that we carry with us create our thoughts. Our thoughts create our beliefs. Our beliefs create our actions. Our actions create our life—our power lies in the ability to choose the conversations and thoughts that guide our actions. If you want to shift your inner power, start with self-assessment, self-awareness, and presence. Meditation, mantras, and positive thinking are great tools to help you initiate change from within.

For me, nature has been a great teacher. It moves forward regardless of what's happening around it, reminding
me to focus on the present moment rather than dwelling on what "should" be. What we focus on grows, so it's important to let go of trying to change reality and instead accept "what is." Listening to your intuition or “gut” begins to grow. You intuitively know what to do and the next steps you must take in all aspects of your life. You are not driven so much by external; rather, you begin to feel and understand your internal life force.

So, how do you begin to own your inner power? It starts with improving your presence by just 1% every day. In this daily practice of building awareness through choice, cumulative magic happens. Don’t worry, judge, or have expectations of immediate change. This is a lifelong process that only gets better and improves over time.

Here are a couple of steps I’ve taken to help me Own My Inner Power.

1. Pause. Just pause throughout the day. Life is busy, but we can slow it down by taking moments throughout the day to breathe, look around and connect with our surroundings with gratitude.
2. Breathe. How often do you pay attention to your breathing? Probably only when there is an issue. To connect with yourself, try ten deep breaths. Deep breathing in through your nose and exhaling slowly through your mouth helps to ground and slow your body down.
3. Carrying reminders of what you aspire to feel is a powerful way to stay connected to the positive emotions you want to cultivate. When you're feeling stressed or overwhelmed, it's easy to lose sight of the inner peace and calm you're striving for.

Carrying inspiring words, quotes, or pictures that remind you of the feeling or change you desire, you can reconnect with your aspiration and choose to do it differently.

In addition, by carrying these reminders with you throughout your day, you'll have an instant tool to anchor yourself in the positive emotions you want to cultivate. Whether it's a favorite quote or an uplifting image, choose something that resonates with you deeply and allows you to tap into the best version of yourself. With consistent practice, you'll find that these reminders become a powerful source of inspiration and motivation to help you stay centered and focused on your goals.

Owning your inner power can be daunting, but it's one of the most rewarding journeys you can embark on. It requires a deep level of self-awareness and self-love, and it's not always easy to look inward and confront the beliefs and thought patterns that no longer serve you.

But you'll notice a shift in your inner dialogue by taking small steps daily, like practicing gratitude, focusing on your breath, and carrying reminders of your aspirations. You'll start to feel a sense of empowerment and control over your life that you may have never felt before.

Remember, owning your inner power is a lifelong process. It's not something that happens overnight, and it's okay to stumble and fall along the way. But with patience, self-compassion, and the willingness to take small steps daily, you'll find that the transformation within yourself is worth the effort.

So, take a deep breath, trust yourself, and start taking those small steps to own your inner power today. You
have everything within you to create the life you desire.