This sounds like the perfect solution, doesn’t it? Just connect with the right person and all your problems will disappear. I mean look at all the people who have won the jackpot by getting the ear of Oprah for a moment or two. There is a catch, though, there always is. Do not be misled into believing that someone else can ever truly empower you.

The kind of empowerment that we are all really seeking, that which has the fortitude to change the world for the better, can only come from within.

Yes, there are people in the world who are incredibly influential. A person like Oprah has the power to make you suddenly be seen by a large number of people. Think of that for a moment. What would it be like to be seen this publicly? Is there anything you are not prepared to share? What is the value you place on your own privacy? What about the privacy of your loved ones?

So often I see people chasing success at any cost. They allow their ambition to cloud their powers of discernment.

These people have been led to believe that if they just get a little piece of what someone else already has, then all their problems will disappear. They will suddenly be able to live the lifestyle of their own fantasies.

I know what these people think, because I used to think the same way. I used to chase my dreams. Then one day I realized (through the help of some mentors who truly empower) that dreams are not chased — they are created… quietly, thoughtfully, and by the nurturing power within your own heart and soul.

Dreams are not chased — they are created… quietly, thoughtfully, and by the nurturing power within your own heart and soul.

I have heard many stories of people who have built amazing lives and careers, only to have it all fall to ruin. Some people even make this a pattern in their life that repeats endlessly. They become serial entrepreneurs, always finding a new marketing angle, always pitching a new product, always reinventing themselves. They often are the people who leverage the power of others more successful and influential than themselves to close the bulk of their sales for them. This parasitic nature of current business trends is hard to ignore. As a self-employed person, I know the model all too well.

So, who do you currently see as your mentor right now? If you think you don’t have one, I promise you that you are not looking in the right place. This person needs to be a person who you actually interact with, not just the perceived persona of a celebrity or mega-millionaire whom you follow the career path of.

The mentor that will empower you may not reveal herself or himself in an obvious way. A true mentorship cannot be asked for, scheduled, or expected. It can only be given and received when the timing is right for both people. To become empowered you must be ready to receive that power.

Knowledge cannot resonate in a vessel that isn’t strong enough yet to hold it.

Wanting to know something is not enough. You have to be prepared to know. Only then can this knowledge empower you from within. If knowledge equals power, then both knowledge and power demand your respect, your honor, and your sincere reverence.

So, think about it again. Who is your mentor? Right now there is a person in your life who is showing you something you need to know. You may not have even thought of them as someone of authority. They may not even be wealthy or well connected. They may even be penniless and seemingly broken according to your conditioned standards.

Here’s a Creating Exercise for you to try. For one day, consider every person you interact with as a potential mentor candidate. What knowledge might they share with you? What knowledge are you prepared to receive from them? Be open to all forms and delivery devices of this knowledge. When you recognize it, respond with gratitude. Allow the revelation to humble you. Feel the emotions that want to rise to the surface. Be present with the power of it. This is what it feels like to become empowered.

Your Creativity Coach,

Bonnie Kelso is a Creativity Coach who uses Creating as a healing modality. She is the author of Vitalize Your Creative Life, a workbook for engaging with your inner creative child. She also facilitates creativity workshops and classes locally in Las Vegas, NV. She is the creator of the ABCs of Conscious Creating, a guided self-study program that delves deeper into the spiritual realm of your unique creative potential. Are you ready to start right now? Do you have 5 Minutes?