Sunday, January 3, 2010

The power of empowerment

I heard a really good sermon today, speaking of comfort zones and the empowerment to break those boundaries and binds. Our minister is a very wise woman who gives us really good food for thought week after week. And today was no exception.

She was talking about an experience she had many years ago, at a young age, in Israel and the West Bank. She and a small group of people stayed with both an Israeli family and a Palestinian family for a few days in each place. Their group leader did something unusual, though. He did not do everything for them and "lead" them around. Instead, he dropped them off in each place to fend for themselves, and really experience living in each of those places as if they were from there. At first, there was uncertainty, fear, then anger towards their group leader. But that was soon followed by the realization that this leader was forcing them to go outside their comfort zone, and discover new strengths and resiience that they did not know they had...

It became an unforgettable experience, and one that empowered the members of that group to feel that they could handle just about anything, and that it is OK, and even really powerful, to step outside of your comfort zone and accomplish something that you never thought you could do..

She ended the sermon by saying that there is nothing as gratifying for a teacher or leader to feel that he or she can "empozer" others to be all that they can be, and more. Truly, to empower other to realice their own potential is very powerful.. I hope that by sharing stories of "making a difference", we each can feel that power of empowerment...

Take care, Ingrid

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