Empowering Ourselves

This week, I'd like to address an issue on which I am working, but one that I realized, through conversations and posted comments, that many people I know are facing too.  So many people feel powerless today and are living lives, doing things that do not make them happy, that do not make them feel fulfilled or satisfied in any way.  In such circumstances, we don't feel like we have a choice, which is wrong.  Within each of us resides the power to stand up and take control of our lives.  So, I asked the Runes how we can do that.  What do we need to know to do it?  How do we approach it?  After drawing the first Rune and thinking, 'Of course.  I should have realized that,' I knew what the other two Runes would be and, honestly, I was a bit freaked out when I was right.

I drew Uruz first.  Do you see why it makes perfect sense that this Rune is first?  Uruz is the Rune of the wild ox, of strength, courage, and determination.  This is exactly what we must find in ourselves to begin our empowerment.  We must find it and trust it.  We are full of potential and strength and, as soon as we realize and accept that, we are taking the first step toward empowerment.  We are strong!

But, how can we do this?  Especially when the world around us is beating us down?  One of the things I love about the Runes is that they don't offer easy, quick fixes; they are honest and present nothing more than the truth.  The truth is that our own empowerment is a process, which is why Jera, the Rune of the harvest and process, came second in this line of questioning.  Empowerment is never easy; it is always a challenge and it will test our strength.  That is why Uruz was first, to remind us straight away that we are strong.  We can make it through this process of regaining our power.  But this would be so much easier if we knew what was coming, right?  If we knew why we're working so hard to empower ourselves.  What is the point?

Funny you should ask, because the third Rune this week is Wunjo, the Rune of joy, a thankfulness for the basic essentials of life.  If we, in our strengthened position through Uruz, realize that there is a significant difference between a want and a need, assess what we allow ourselves to believe is a want versus a need, and act on that, our perspective changes.  The more we decide what we need to be happy, instead of letting outside sources dictate that for us, the more we realize that what we want or need is not the same thing that everyone else may want or need.  We must focus on ourselves, instead of trying to force our values or convince others of our beliefs (when we act as the outside force trying to dictate to others), the happier we will be.  In other words, if we want to be happy, we need to focus on us and not worry about what others are saying or try to tell others what to think.

Here is our path to empowerment - Uruz reminds us that we have the strength we need to empower ourselves; Jera tells us that the path to empowerment is a process that will take time and will be as smooth as we make it, that is part of our empowerment, that we dictate the path; and that, if we want to be happy through this empowerment, as Wunjo offers, we need to focus on ourselves, not at the expense of others, rather to make us more aware of what constitutes our own happiness.

What is the first step you will take toward your own empowerment?