Do you have “personal” power? I’m not referring to the power that comes from material wealth or the ability to control people and situations. I’m referring to the kind of power that comes from within-the power that is authentic only to you. Women with “personal” power are secure in their own self-confidence and self-esteem. They are at peace with who they are at their core and they encourage others to be more of who they are. Women with “personal” power encourage others to show up in the world exactly as they are.

You’ve probably met this woman before. You feel better about yourself, your life, and the world—- even if you only spend a few minutes with her.

Women who have “personal” power are living lives that are on purpose and with passion. Why is it important for you to have “personal” power”? Because you are your most powerful self when you are navigating a life that is on course with clear direction. If you are reading this and thinking, “I’d really like to have my own brand of authentic “personal” power.” Guess what? You can.

“Personal” power is closer than you think. It’s within your reach. “Personal” power comes from within. You can’t buy it or borrow it from someone else. It’s a power that’s personal only to you. It’s your Authentic self-your Authentic voice. She’s with you all of the time. The women in the world with “personal” power have taken a few simple steps to access their power and bring it to the world. How do I know this? Because I’ve taken the time to do my internal work to help me access my “personal” power. I didn’t always feel as courageous and bold as I do today, however, through this process I was able to access it and bring it into my life and other people’s lives.

Are you ready to access you own brand of authentic “personal” power? Here are some easy solutions to help get you there:

1. Make a decision to choose what you don’t want – sometimes it’s easier to first decide what you don’t want in your life. When women honestly answer, “I don’t really know what I want yet.” I say “Bravo!” When a woman can be honest that she has no idea what she wants, she’s almost half way there! We’re so afraid to “not know” something that we stay stuck or trapped where we are. Start by making a list of what you don’t want in your life and begin to eliminate those things first. For example, when I made a decision that I wanted more “nutritious” people in my life-people who were a positive light, those people began to show up.

2. Explore working with a coach or a mentor – find someone who is skilled at helping you explore what might be next. Once you begin eliminating what you don’t want in your life, you’ll have the new open space to allow for more of what you do want. This has been an invaluable part of my journey. I refer to my coach as my “thinking partner.” Someone who can ask me the hard questions and help me reframe my thinking so that I can feel my own “personal” power.

3. Plan your Renewed life course – once you know what you want, make a commitment to have more of those experiences in your life every day. In my Women’s Success Circles, women create their ideal day filled with more of the things that allow them to have their own brand of “personal” power.

4. Believe in yourself – Develop a belief that what you want is what you deserve and should have.

5. Express Gratitude – when you wake up in the morning and go to bed each night, make a positive gratitude statement about 3 things you are grateful for. If you begin your day being grateful and end your day being grateful, you will begin to feel more powerful.

If you are a woman with “personal” power, you are creating a “spark” every day in your life and other’s lives as well. When your life is on course, it’s much easier to navigate in times of troubled waters. There will always be challenge and change in the world, however a woman with “personal” power may fall but she will not fail. She can access her “personal” power at any time to support her no matter what the situation. “Personal” power will help her get back up again and keep navigating her purposeful, passionate journey.

What you are waiting for? You’ve got the power…

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

*****

Copyright 2009 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions(tm), a Professional Certified Coach to 1000’s of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur.  She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs.  If you’re ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, 2 FREE Reports and FREE MP3 now at http://www.CreatingTheSpark.com.

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An annual city conference gives teenage girls a boost towards a goal of one day owning their own businesses. NY1’s Money Matters reporter Tara Lynn Wagner filed the following report.

With wide eyes and open ears, dozens of budding female entrepreneurs attend the 10th annual Guardian Life Insurance Girls Going Places Conference, to share dreams of become potential Fortune 500 CEOs of tomorrow. Many of the 12- to 18-year-old girls involved in the program have already started their own businesses, even though they are still only in high school.

“I’ve seen charities being formed, a lot to help youth, I’ve seen jewelry makers. One created a credit union in her school,” says Maria Umbach of Guardian Life Insurance.

The conference consists of games and activities, as well as question-and-answer sessions that allow the young attendees to meet and learn from successful women business owners.

The mentors take the girls through the nuts and bolts of running a business, which go far beyond just having drive and a good idea.

“Budgeting, how to start a business, what the stock market looks like and investing, also cash flow, anything that goes into that,” says Umbach.

“I think it’s fabulous, it’s almost like a kickoff to life,” says Janet Adler of Janet Adler Realty.

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© 2009 NY1 News

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The First Lady touts the importance of health insurance reform–for women and families.

With her husband lobbying hard for the passage of health insurance legislation this year, Michelle Obama joined the debate in a speech Friday, appealing directly to women.

“Health care is very much a women’s issue, and if we want to achieve true equality for women … then we have to reform the system,” she said in her speech.

“Eight in 10 women, mothers, report that they’re the ones responsible for choosing their children’s doctor, for getting them to their checkups, for managing that follow-up care. Women are the ones to do it. Mothers are the ones that do it. And many women find themselves doing the same thing for their spouses,” Obama told the majority-female audience, which boasted representatives from several women’s organizations, including the YWCA and the Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

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© 2009 Forbes

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Forget the trying economic times.

Men and women who launch a business during any financial climate face the same challenges: securing money, sticking to a business plan and developing savvy marketing and a competent management team.

But there’s a difference between the sexes when it comes to handling some of the raw emotions that can plague entrepreneurs — feelings such as fear and anxiety — and women may have an edge in recognizing them and asking for help, said Karin Abarbanel, co-author of a new guide to starting a business – read more

Copyright: Joyce Gannon is a business news writer whose Talking With interviews with business leaders appear in the Post-Gazette’s Sunday Business section. She also covers law firms, local chemical companies and a variety of general business news. She got her start in newspapers at Penn State University’s Daily Collegian as the arts and entertainment editor. After earning a journalism degree from Penn State, she worked as a general assignment reporter in Wheeling, W.Va., and as a reporter and editor at the Pittsburgh Business Times before joining the Post-Gazette.

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