Great smells evoke good feelings. Fresh air, green grass, meat grilled over hot burning coals all form an inviting trail to captivate and energize us. My latest feel good whiff is a new car because it is more than the actual physical waft of newness. It doesn’t matter how many new cars you have driven in the past because the moment you collect a new one from the dealer, you are like a proud parent bringing a baby home all over again.
My last car held out for 8 years and as I traded it in for the new one, I grieved a little inside and told her she had served me well. In Malaysia, I had always driven an automatic but over in Ireland manually powered cars seem to be more popular. For the past number of years, I had to learn all over again how to drive in the manual mode and it is with great joy that my new car has a tiptronic gearbox. So no more gear shifting and I can rest my left leg.
It is certainly more than a body on four wheels. I approach it with a full spectrum of emotions, in short, a heady mix of excitement and admiration. Sitting in the lap of luxury and taking on the road spells freedom. It feels like an army tank and because the seat is higher, the perspective of what lies ahead seems more wide angled. The fun part is I can now look into the eyes of the toll booth and parking attendant rather than having to look up.
This car is my personal blank slate and it shouts empowerment.
What is empowerment?
It is to make someone stronger and more confident, especially
in being proud of who she is and how she wants to live.
Confidence and autonomy are pillars of empowerment. When you are empowered, you become a better person to yourself and to others. You are more prepared for the unknown and are motivated to advance and get going. You are more interested in knowing what you want for yourself rather than regularly comparing yourself with others or wondering what other people are doing.
Every year we celebrate International Women’s Day in March. However, we still find that many women are not marching forward and do not have a voice. These women have limited access to education and training and far more often than not, have decisions made for them.
Financial independence is key. It frees the person from anxiety that money troubles can elicit. It is not uncommon to see a display of bullying in bad marriages whereby the one who controls the purse strings is the one who wields power over the spouse.
The power that education brings can never be underestimated. It has been regarded as a ladder of social ascendancy. A famous saying about "study" in China is from a poem in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) by Wang Zhu, which mentions that studying is the most prized activity. Everything else pales in significance. I believe in standing my ground and making sound decisions by being educated and well-informed.
Exercise empowers both the mind and body. It brings a sense of strength and clearness of head. The discipline involved in exercise allows the person to have control over his life.
Empowerment is not about lording over others. It is not about drawing attention to oneself constantly and feeling superior. I find it most uncomfortable to be in the company of braggarts who are loud and pushy. A person who is smart and talented but humble is wonderful to be with.
Assets and trimmings may give an extra boost to confidence but they are just appendages with an expiration date. They alone cannot change our behaviour or character permanently. We become empowered when we set goals and follow them through. In Louisa Mary Alcott’s Little Women, we see that true empowerment of an individual is more from within than without.
Empowerment is a process. Every now and then we need to adjust the process so that we can benefit from it. Brigham Young wrote, “You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.
I take great pride in driving my new beast from the east. When the rubber meets the road, every shred of anxiety is laid to rest.
“She believed she could, so she did.” – R.S. Grey
THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PRINTED IN THE NEW STRAITS TIMES MALAYSIA ON 8 APRIL 2018 www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2018/04/354659/sense-empowerment
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