21 Empowering Beliefs That Help Me Live A Calm, Confident Life

These 21 empowering beliefs have changed my thinking, made me more resilient, and helped me bounce back from life’s challenges with calm and confidence.

As I turn 50 and assess the lifetime of experiences I’ve accumulated, I like to think back and recall the beliefs that have changed my thinking and my life.

When I was younger, I had a lot of beliefs that I now know were disempowering in nature. Over the years, I began to question many of them, including a number of “brules” that were ruling my life.

As I began to adopt more empowering beliefs, I developed convictions that brought more happiness and personal power into my life.

21 Empowering Beliefs I Choose To Live My Life By

Here are 21 of my most cherished, empowering beliefs that have changed my thinking, made me more resilient, and helped me bounce back from life’s curveballs with more calm and confidence.

1. I believe in myself.

I know if it has to be, it’s up to me. I believe that I’m the one person who can decide what impact life’s events have on me.

I don’t wait for someone to “save” me or rescue me from situations. I take the initiative to find a solution to my own problems.

I chose to believe in myself and in my ability to handle anything life throws at me. If something needs to change, I know I’m the only one who has to do it.

2. I know how to assert myself.

I am not a pushover. I am learning to say what I mean and to assert myself in a calm and non-harming way.

I don’t let people take advantage of me or treat me disrespectfully. I know that setting boundaries with people in my life is the only way to create healthier relationships.

I speak my mind because I know that it’s more important to be authentic than to be a people-pleaser. I don’t say yes to unreasonable requests, or please everyone at the cost of my own mental peace.

I develop the inner attitudes for setting boundaries more successfully and maintaining them. I don’t always manage it, but I’m proud of myself for working on it.

3. I know how to heal myself.

From my spiritual teachers, I have learned that my emotions are at the root of every health issue I have faced in my life. In her book, The Law Of Attraction, Esther Hicks teaches that all illnesses are psychosomatic.

In You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay teaches that the mind and body are connected, so illnesses of the body have their root causes in emotional and spiritual aspects of the mind and its beliefs and thought processes.

I believe that I attract into my life the issues that I need to heal and know that self-awareness and self-acceptance are the practices I need to heal myself.

4. I choose what’s right for me over what’s expected of me.

I don’t look to other people for approval or feel the need to conform to another’s expectations. I know that, to be a truly independent and self-confident person I need to be self-directed.

When I care less what others think, I can live the life I’m meant to live, and not a dim reflection of what someone else thinks my life should be.

I refuse to take on the burden of other people’s expectations. The only person whose approval matters is my own. As long as I approve of myself, I can choose what’s right for me and make choices that serve me and my loved ones.

5. I take responsibility for my life and my happiness.

Not so long ago, I was one of those people who thought that the source of my problems lay outside me. That if only other people would change, things would get better. But life excels in teaching us the lessons we need to learn the most.

I came to realise that, while you may not have created your childhood trauma, by refusing to heal your woundedness, you’re perpetuating that malaise.

And as long as you’re blaming someone else for your misery, as long as you’re enjoying playing the victim, your life is never going to change.

After a few hard lessons and much soul-searching, I realised that the only way my life was going to change is if I took Radical Self-Responsibility for everything I had created.

This was the #1 thing that changed my life from feeling like a victim to being in the driver’s seat!

Today, I choose to believe that I am in charge of my life and I take responsibility for everything I create – the good and the bad. There is power in owning your choices because you can only change what you own.

I don’t blame others for what I’ve created in my life, nor do I make them responsible for my life choices. I hold myself accountable for the outcomes I create, without beating myself up over it.

I am growing in wisdom every day and celebrate the fact that I have the power to determine my own future.

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6. I believe that everything happens for a reason.

Like William Shakespeare, I believe that “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.”

I choose to believe that everything happens for a reason, even if I don’t always understand it when it’s happening.

When my fears take over, I remind myself that everything is impermanent and that “this too shall pass.”

I find that this belief gives me the resilience and the sense of purpose to accept and deal with challenges calmly.

7. I believe that my life has great meaning, deep purpose.

Loving-kindness (Metta) is a self-care practice in Buddhism that teaches self-love and self-acceptance.

It involves repeating the loving-kindness prayer, mantra, or affirmations below as a form of meditation.

My loving-kindness practice has taught me to believe that my life has great meaning, deep purpose.

Even if I don’t always comprehend the meaning or purpose behind my presence on the planet, I trust that I am impacting lives in a way that only I can.

8. I count my blessings.

I have so much to appreciate – the air I breathe, the water I drink, my food and shelter, being a mother, doing work I love.

I know that a scarcity mentality can make you feel bitter and envious, unable even to enjoy and celebrate a friend’s good fortune because to you their success or happiness is just another sign that you’re missing out.

I appreciate everything in my life, even difficult relationships and people. I know everything that happens and every person I meet brings the gift of understanding and appreciating human nature.

Expressing my appreciation reminds me of how blessed I am and how much abundance I have in my life. And it opens me up to all the opportunities that abound in the world.

9. I learn from my mistakes.

Instead of wallowing in guilt and shame, I make setbacks work for me by focusing on the lessons that they contain.

I don’t let my mistakes get me down. I know they are just stepping stones on the way to success. Every time I fall down, I get back up again.

As the Japanese proverb says, “Success is falling down seven times, getting up eight.”

10. I find meaning in adversity.

Even though tough times are hard to endure, I believe that I can emerge from any challenge with greater wisdom and courage.

My toughest times were the biggest learning experiences of my life, and when I look back at the obstacles I’ve overcome, I know I can handle what lies ahead.

I know that tough times don’t last, but tough people do.

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11. I embrace change.

I know that change is the only constant and embrace it. I thrive on change. It helps me learn and grow.

I choose to Be The Change instead of letting change happen to me. When life brings change, I learn to shift my focus from judging the negative, to living the positive, so I can make positive choices.

As long as I focus on the present moment, I can adapt to any circumstances that come my way.

12. I challenge myself.

I know that if my goals don’t challenge me, they’re not big enough. I set goals that are possible, but big enough to test me.

I don’t feel the need to know HOW I’ll attain my goals as long as I have a strong enough WHY.

I believe that life is an adventure and that setting a challenging, but attainable, goal gives me something to look forward to each day.

13. I practice forgiveness.

I believe that holding on to anger and resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

I let go of self-blame and learn how to forgive myself. I consciously choose to lighten my load by practising forgiveness for myself and others.

I choose to let go of the past because I know that anger and resentment will poison my mind, body, and relationships.

I set boundaries with people who have wronged or disappointed me while responding with compassion to human foibles.

14. I give to those less fortunate than me.

I love to give to the less fortunate, whether in terms of time or money. When I can’t volunteer time, I donate to charities I believe in.

Giving makes me feel more powerful and joyful, even if it’s a small gesture.

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15. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.

I don’t believe in perfection. I just believe in performing a task to the best of my abilities.

Nothing can beat the satisfaction and joy I get from knowing that I’m doing what I’m meant to be doing, and giving full expression to my unique talents and skills.

I find my passion and purpose and commit to it with all my heart. I believe that if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.

16. I leverage my strengths.

I focus on what I’m good at and leverage my strengths instead of dwelling on my weaknesses.

I learn to see my strengths and weaknesses calmly and objectively and don’t give in to the pull of feeling inferior to others.

I know that I don’t have to be good at everything and can always get help for the things I’m not good at. My strengths and the way I express them are what make me unique, so I choose to draw on them instead.

17. I listen to feedback.

I love to improve and become better at what I do, so I’m always happy to get feedback. I listen to suggestions and feedback respectfully and without getting defensive.

I know that I need input from others in order to learn and grow. I learn to feel good about myself and have faith in my abilities, no matter what other people say about me.

18. I ask for help.

I believe in the African Proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

I choose not to go it alone, but to reach out and build a support network of strong and powerful women whom I can depend on for advice and mentorship.

I know I can achieve so much more when I ask for help from the right people.

19. I regularly practice emotional self-care.

I know that being around negative people and influences can bring you down, no matter how enthusiastic or optimistic you start out.

No one is born negative but we absorb limiting beliefs and negative patterns by contact with people and circumstances throughout our lives.

I avoid people who complain and learn to relax with imperfections and irritations. I am flexible with my expectations and learn to manage disappointment and setbacks gracefully.

I choose to surround myself and engage only with family and friends who are positive, loving, and encouraging.

I read emotional self-care books to learn how to set firm boundaries with those who bring negativity into my life.

20. I am always open to new possibilities.

I believe in this Quote by Seneca, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” I say yes to everything that makes my heart sing.

I am always open to opportunities to grow and expand my life. I’m always preparing for the moments of serendipity when I might encounter the right person or the right opportunity to take my life further.

21. I love to learn and try new things.

I am adventurous and courageous. I love to be spontaneous and try new things. I’m learning to be comfortable with stepping outside my comfort zone.

Expanding my comfort zone allows me to let my own unconscious mind find the right way forward for you so I can release my own inner creativity and spirit of adventure.

I’m an optimist and always hope for the best. I’m constantly questioning my old beliefs and assumptions and replacing them with more empowering ones.

What empowering beliefs have YOU chosen to adopt in your life? Do share in the comments below.

About the author:

Priya Florence Shah is the Group Editor at SHEROES and author of Devi2Diva, an emotional self-care book for women.

Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate or sponsored links. For more information, read our disclosure.

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