Empowerment means having the mental, physical and spiritual capacity to accomplish the desires of one's heart. In order to reach the goals I have set for myself, I must feel empowered to achieve them. Empowerment comes from several different sources, including our internal feelings of self-worth, the validation we receive from others close to us, and the external motivation to succeed in society. Empowerment has affected my own life in several ways. I have been empowered by many people groups in my life. My parents and friends have helped me develop a healthy image of self-worth which motivates me to push toward my goals. My natural abilities and talents also guide me in my desire to pursue education, training, and job experience that will benefit me in my future career. In addition, I am empowered by the achievements I have already made which help me to realize the potential I have to accomplish my future goals. For example, I needed to feel empowered to validate my ability to work full time and continue my education simultaneously. I am also empowered to be a role model for my four younger siblings. They were adopted from a hard situation and look up to me as their older sister. It is important for me to succeed so that they will feel empowered to do so as well. In my opinion, empowerment is the key to finding success, not just wealth or income, but a true sense of purpose. I do not just wish to have a job and earn a salary, but instead I desire to truly enjoy what I do for a living in the future. I want to make a difference, and empower other women to enter the business world to achieve their own success, meet their own goals, and be role models for others. It is only through this sense of empowerment that I will graduate with my high school diploma from Cairo High School in May, continue my education with an Associates of Arts degree from Florida Gateway College in Business Administration, and seek experience in a management position before opening and managing my own childcare facility, or restaurant one day. Without a sense of empowerment, we become stagnant in our desire to accomplish new things. We cannot see the potential we have to move forward, and instead retreat to the familiar instead of reaching for more. We begin to settle for the mediocre instead of dreaming of what could be. This is why empowerment is important to me.