‘Authority of Self’ is a way of describing a solid, inner sense of self-awareness and self-confidence that comes from knowing who you truly are – and then being able to live your life from this standpoint. It means that you are fully accountable for your own life, that you understand your own needs and can make healthy decisions based on this for yourself, by yourself.
This isn’t about Me, Me Me!
‘Authority of Self’ isn’t arrogance, entitlement or an aggressive and willful way of forcing through your own agenda, but rather a quiet inner certitude that enables you to ‘sit comfortably in your own skin.’ It gives you a gentle self-assurance and a secure knowing that you can manage your own life without giving away your own authority to other people and outside authorities.
When you have a clear ‘Authority of Self’ your life takes on more meaning and fulfillment because you’ve learned to trust yourself and to be happily responsible for your own life and what you do with it.
This concept isn’t one of ‘me first’, a rugged individualism or a strident need to fight for your rights, but rather a genuine awareness of your value and worth as a soul and as a human being. This healthy consciousness forms the basis of a life where you know your strengths and individual blueprint of attributes – and you use them to make an authentic contribution in your own unique way.
A wide-ranging concept
Developing an ‘Authority of Self’ encompasses many areas of life where you’ll need to reflect on some of the beliefs and patterns that you may have absorbed over the course of your life. Some of these attitudes and habits of thinking and behaviour will be positive and productive, but others could also be limiting and self-sabotaging.
It’s really important to do some sifting through your belief system to discover which patterns are serving you well – and which are not.
Some of the interesting concepts that are part of an ‘Authority of ‘Self’:
- How to be personally accountable for your own life, without blaming others or circumstances outside of yourself
- Being responsible to better understand your true Self, and who you really are, independent of what you may have come to believe about yourself
- Learning what it means to think for yourself, speak up for yourself and to stand up for yourself
- Putting healthy boundaries in place so that you’re more able to fulfill the purpose of your life
- Building relationships that are based on mutual respect, love, co-operation and freedom of self-expression
Little by little, day by day
I fully realise that each of these concepts has great depth and vast implications for our lives and how we live them – but these are the stuff by which fulfilling and meaningful lives are created. Nothing happens overnight, but every little bit that we do to transform how we feel about ourselves makes a difference and before we know it, the quality of our lives has improved.
And, after all, we are the only ones who can develop our own ‘Authority of Self’. The way that our lives unfold has everything to do with what we put into them. Every single one of us has limitless potential within us to grow and develop and it’s our privilege and responsibility to make the most of this storehouse of inner treasures.
“All that which ye potentially possess can … be manifested only as a result of your own volition.”
When you live with ‘Authority of Self’ you feel confident but humble, safe yet aware of the difficulties of a human life, free yet responsible and accountable. You have the satisfaction, joy and gratitude that come from mature spirituality – and this makes you feel that the sky is the limit!
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