As I am sure all women are feeling a little uncertain in these times, it is refreshing to read this book not only for reminders on how to rebuild ourselves but that we are not alone in this. Powell and Heath explain how the common challenges can be grouped into four areas when we feel lost or uncertain: self-awareness, identity, purpose and self-belief. They go on to say that this isn’t about giving you a new voice; rather, it’s about building your confidence to rediscover and use the voice you already have. It’s about empowering you to make the choices you want. It’s about helping you to connect with your own stories and experiences to find your inner strength.
Self-awareness, self-belief and the confidence to be authentic without compromise all takes time. The question is, how do we deal with this new reality? Every day I cross something that has changed over the last little while and sometimes I am just uncertain on how to deal with situations that are presented in front of me.
Some of the relevant questions could be how do we equip ourselves to deal with these challenges, pick up the pieces and move out of the panic zone? How do we gather the strength to deal with everyday stresses, challenges and pressures? How do we build up our mental muscles and improve our mental toughness to give us the strength to carry on.
Powell and Heath recommend dedicating just 1% of your time is less than fifteen minutes a day to think about what has gone well, what could have been better and what you could have done differently to make your day more successful. It will be time extremely well spent.
If we don’t spend time reflecting on what we’ve achieved and learned or take time to think about the impact that life events and situations have had on us personally, we can end up with feelings of inertia, apathy or anxiety. This book covers real life examples especially during the whole Covid years and how people handle certain situations.
We instinctively protect ourselves – so we avoid new or challenging situations because we’re scared of setbacks, or failing, or having to come out of our comfort zones. If you are determined to succeed and overcome those challenges, this is a realistic guide that can help you.
‘I am in control of myself and my responses. Nothing can bother me unless I let it.’
Powell and Heath suggest to start small. It’s OK to have big goals, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Searching for your ‘why’ is about breaking down those intentions into manageable chunks. Write down both your big desires and your small commitments; this will help make you more accountable.
The only person who can make the changes you want in your life, or who can respond to the challenges you face, is you!!
Powell and Heath help you learn the benefits of self-reflection techniques in theory and how to practice them however it doesn’t end there. They are simple approaches designed to help you find your purpose, give you the freedom to breathe and take you forward on your journey to realize your hopes and dreams.
We used to write journals in the beginning of time and really has not been on top of mind, especially for me more recently however, Powell and Heath remind us that a journal is both your legacy and your starting point to becoming your best self. Research shows that many women lack self-confidence and self-belief as a result of societal conditioning or psychological traits.
A good way to think about how you present yourself is to try to be really mindful about what you say about yourself, and how you are portraying yourself to others – whether at work, in your relationships and your friendship groups. You could have some different internal thoughts and beliefs but what you should externally is what is important. This is all about bringing up your self-confidence and believing in you.
This book is a good start to getting you there!!
Published by Rethink Press
Monique Vander Eyken, HR Consultant – MVE Consulting
