what is Self-Empowerment

 

                        Subjective Awareness and Self-Empowerment

Many times, we consciously or unconsciously allow others to decide our direction or choices. For example, in childhood, parents often made numerous decisions for us in every aspect of daily life. In school, we chose subjects based on the environment and social trends of the time. Yet, were those really choices made from our own rational thinking? Most likely, they were not—or at least, not many of them. Often, we did not even pause to ask ourselves: Who am I? What do I truly like? What am I good at? What truly suits me? Where do I feel most alive and long-lastingly fulfilled? What is something I cannot do right now but must do in the future?

From filling out college applications to choosing a life direction, how many things did we truly accomplish by our own awareness, and how many were influenced or even dictated by others? Take health as an example: are we used to going to doctors and believing they can solve our health problems, or do we consciously gather knowledge about wellness, tend to our emotions, and treat ourselves with care in daily life? When faced with disappointments, setbacks, anxiety, fear, or inner conflict, can we still maintain a sense of inner calm, awareness, harmony, and relaxation—allowing both difficulties and blessings to happen? That, in itself, is an act of genuine kindness toward oneself. Yet, it is striking to realize how rarely anyone teaches us such perspectives from an early age. If we had learned them earlier, how many people would have suffered less from inner struggles and self-torment, and lived more peacefully with themselves and their surroundings?

I once read the phrase "I think, therefore I am." At the time, I didn't fully understand its meaning. But looking back now, I realize what it was truly pointing to. As in the examples above, when we act without awareness or reflection—simply following habits—we are not truly there. We are lost: lost in ignorance, lost in the vastness of time and space. Yet, when we begin to observe the present, think rationally, and allow that awareness to guide our actions, we not only exist in the present, but also create our future. Today, there is a term to describe this process—subjective awareness and self-empowerment. Of course, for those unaccustomed to such reflection, this transformation requires much effort, and indeed, most of us fall into this category. Some people, after years of living in repetitive patterns, eventually stop and ask: Who am I? What am I doing? Do I really want to continue like this? Others, however, may simply continue living in this way, believing it is normal.

As the saying goes, “Without small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles; without small streams, there can be no rivers or seas.” Through countless unconscious habits, we gradually hand over our autonomy, drifting with the current. But is that truly the way life is meant to be lived? I believe each person reading this already knows their own answer. When we merely drift, we are not connected with all things—in fact, we lose our true selves. Only when we live in alignment with who we really are can we experience the joy of life and the recognition of self.

#self awareness #self empowerment