Empowerment: The Art of Creating Your Life as You Want It

by David Gershon, Gail Straub

For two decades, David Gershon and Gail Straub have taught thousands of people how to make their dreams come true--and Empowerment builds on that real-life experience. Gershon and Straub believe that our thoughts and beliefs create the actual conditions of our life; to change things, we must first alter our consciousness and our thought processes. That's what this book helps readers do, through practical techniques, inspiring stories, visualizations, and exercises for self-evaluation. It covers seven areas of relationships, sexuality, money, work, body, emotions, and spirituality.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 4, 2011

Reviews

[Bea Elwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag for me. The meditations and affirmations were great but they stirred up the ol' emotional pot causing a few emotional days (what is my higher purpose 😣). As a result by the end it felt pretty overwhelming but I think if you focused on one or two things (like they do recommend) it would be better. Can't imagine cramming all of this into one weekend!

[Kat Hanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am one of those people who typically shrug off and ignore the section of the bookstore that house books like, “Empowerment: The Art of Creating Your Life as You Want It.” In an incredibly approachable book, Gershon and Straub focus on seven common areas of life people often desire empowerment: emotions, relationships, sexuality, body, money, work, and spirituality. I truly appreciate how not preachy this book is. They start where you are and offer practical guides and reflection activities for you to figure out approaches unique to you. Moreover, they focus on the being of empowerment.

Taking it one step beyond just the doing, Gershon and Straub urge you as the reader to take on empowerment so that it becomes a deep habit. Most importantly, when I tend to think of empowerment, I think of people who believe that they have it figured out and they are willing to “give” us some of their power. Gershon and Straub argue that individual, self-actualization and action are core to their understanding of empowerment: one must find it within themselves and learn to equip it within their daily lives. In other words, one cannot become passively empowered. It takes work. Each chapter offers activities and journaling to help you figure out what this work will actually look like.

I am still uncertain about the long-term impacts this book will give me (I was still a little embarrassed reading it on the plane and it can be a little cheesy at times). However, what it certainly has given me is some interesting insights and perspectives that are worth mulling over. I believe that we all should find areas in our lives to become more empowered. Perhaps others might find some helpful insights in this book as well.