Empowerment - an awesome word despite the dictionary definition

The definition of empowerment; giving someone the power or authority to do something.  What an awesome word empowerment is yet the definition of it doesn't do it justice, not one bit! Who would write such a horrible definition for such an awesome word? And where is the emotion of the word? the feelings that accompany it?

When I think of empowerment, I think of self.  I go beyond the definition of "power over something" and engulf myself in a sense of being that I, myself and no one else, can achieve and be.  I take away the forbidding "power over" and make it mine thereby giving life to the word - empowering myself to make my own definitions in life and to live by my guidelines and no one else's imposed rules; no power over anything or anyone to achieve it.

I suppose the reason why I don't particularly like the definition of empowerment that is provided in the dictionary is because it seems very colonial; that power over something which is usually me.  I fall into a few "power over" categories as I am an Indigenous womyn, single mom, etc.  I suppose I could go on with the categories, but I think you get the picture.  Having lived and still living a life that is struggling to decolonise from a way of life that was forced upon us as Indigenous people, I dislike anything that gains strength in powering over others/things/beings.  Maybe it is because I am a Windigo Kaan and dislike the word power.   I believe that we are no better or no less than any being and when you introduce power into the equation, there is always someone who is at the bottom of shit creek.  Yep, that creek isn't fun to be in!

Nope, the word is so much more than what others are lead to believe.  Yesterday, I was in the sugar bush boiling sap to make maple syrup.  I was by myself and I getting things done.  Part of getting things done is chopping wood; which I am not bad at.  As I was chopping wood, I started to feel a sense of achievement.  In my mind I was saying "look at you, all womyn and boss of the chopping! You can take care of yourself and others.  Your muscles love you right now and how sexy is that!" Yep, my mind was saying that; what an awesome mind I have eh!  And as I was saying that, I felt empowered.  Yep, just like that.  It wasn't that I had the power, it was that I was at one with my world and gathered energy from what I was doing. That energy, that moment, empowered me and as I walked out of the bush later that evening smokey smelling, dirty and tired, I felt such a sense of being that I became empowered.   May you find your own definition in your world today....miigwech!

Carrianne