JUNE 2026 Newsletter - Empowerment: Taking Charge of Our Own Lives

"No matter your features
We're all the same tender loving creatures
Taking steps upon the earth
Don't need anyone to tell you what you're worth"

-"Power," MILCK

At Courage to Caregivers, we view EMPOWERMENT as vital to our roles as family caregivers. Empowerment, put simply, is the state of being able to take charge of our own lives. Through empowerment, we are able to embrace the courage we need to think creatively, ask for help when we need it, and take advantage of our strengths and skillsets as caregivers.

We find empowerment through reflecting on who we are as people and how we want to learn and develop. From there, we can recognize how capable we already are, and how we can keep growing. Empowerment doesn't mean we have to struggle alone. Instead, it's about recognizing and embracing our ability to make change in our own lives. As singer-songwriter MILCK says in her anthem "Power," you "don't need anyone to tell you what you're worth."

3 TOOLS FOR BECOMING EMPOWERED

Shift your mindset - Empowerment is all about taking control of your own life, and this includes your mindset. As we discussed in May when we covered growth mindset, we have the ability to shift our thinking away from "I can't" to "I can learn."
Reflect on your values and goals- In order to know what you need, it's vital to take a moment to reflect on what you care about and how that relates to what you would like to become. What strengths do you have? Where would you like to grow?
Find your community- Caregiving can feel incredibly isolating at times. That's why finding a caring community that can support and cheer you on can be instrumental in lifting you up and empowering you to be your best self.

Check out the complete June 2026 Newsletter focused on Empowerment here.

Step Back So Someone Else Can Step Forward

“One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself.” — Shannon L. Alder

Establishing healthy boundaries is important, but caregiving is rarely that simple. When someone we love is struggling, our instinct is to help. We want to ease their suffering, prevent mistakes, and make things better. Yet, by helping, we might also be enabling—unintentionally getting in the way of someone else's growth, independence, or ability to solve problems. The challenge isn't choosing between caring and setting boundaries. It's learning how to do both in a way that protects our well-being while supporting our loved one’s growth and independence.

EmpowermentKristi HornerJune 18, 2026Boundaries, Healthy Boundaries

JUNE 2025 Newsletter: Empowerment - A Journey of BECOMING

“Just believe in yourself. Even if you don’t, pretend that you do, and at some point, you will.” ~ Venus Williams

What makes you feel empowered? EMPOWERMENT is one of Courage to Caregivers' core values. While we can't always remove the obstacles and stress we encounter in caregiving, empowerment allows us to recognize our skills and achievement in spite of the hurdles we face. According to the American Psychological Association, empowerment is “the promotion of the skills, knowledge, and confidence necessary to take greater control of one’s life.” When we feel empowered, we are able to acknowledge our strengths and abilities and then take action to support our needs.

As you might have heard us say before, empowerment is the process of BECOMING. It's the process of asking ourselves, "WHO do we want to become? WHAT do we want to achieve? WHEN are we taking action to accomplish our personal goals? WHY do we strive toward these goals?" By asking ourselves these questions, we can reflect on what motivates us and what larger goals we plan to achieve.

3 TOOLS FOR BECOMING EMPOWERED

Shift your mindset - Empowerment is all about taking control of your own life and this includes your mindset. As we discussed in May when we covered growth mindset, we have the ability to shift our thinking away from "I can't" to "I can learn."
Reflect on your values and goals - In order to know what you need, it's vital to take a moment to reflect on what you care about and how that relates to what you would like to become. What strengths do you have? Where would you like to grow?
Find your community - Caregiving can feel incredibly isolating at times. That's why finding a caring community that can support and cheer you on can be instrumental in lifting you up and empowering you to be your best self.

Check out the entire June Newsletter here.

Your Complaints May Be Telling You Something

"The things you complain about most often are indicators of where you need better boundaries." ~ Nedra Glover Tawwab, "Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself"

Here’s a confession from a reluctant caregiver (me): I’m a complainer. Or at least that’s how I FEEL right now. Yet, I also like to think of myself as “tuned in”—caring, aware, observant, kind, resilient, determined. I have realistic expectations, hold on to hope, and am realistically optimistic.

Nedra Tawwab’s quote has me reflecting on what all this could be telling me. It highlights a powerful truth: Frustration is often a signal, not just a feeling.

EmpowermentKristi HornerJune 19, 2025Boundaries, Healthy Boundaries

JUNE 2024 Newsletter: EMPOWERMENT ... You Have the Power in YOU 🙌🏻

Building on our recent themes of common humanity (as humans we all experience pain, suffering, and stress) and growth mindset (we have the ability to grow and learn) - the theme of EMPOWERMENT is nicely layered in. "There is no normal life that is free of pain. It's the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth." ~ Fred Rogers, The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember.

You've heard us say before - we can't remove the stress of caregiving. What we CAN do is empower caregivers to better cope and manage the stress of caregiving. This empowerment is what makes our work sustainable! We believe in empowerment so much that it's one of our core values. We define empowerment as strengths-focused, valuing abilities, goals, and learning.

EMPOWERMENT is a process of BECOMING. WHO do you want to BE or become? WHAT do you want to achieve or accomplish? WHEN are you going to do that next right thing that sets you on the course of accomplishing your personal goals? What's your WHY - that reason you get up and out of bed each morning?

3 TOOLS FOR MANIFESTING EMPOWERMENT

MINDSET: What you THINK you BECOME! Notice - what is your current mindset? How do you feel about it? Do you want to make a change? You can SHIFT your mindset - make a list of your core values - how you want to BE and become - and set a goal (or two) towards pursuing those!
SELF-AWARENESS: A better understanding of yourself and what your needs are is an important component of becoming who you want to BE. Analyze your strengths and opportunities for growth. How do you want to grow and what can you learn? YOUR feelings are important - you are worthy of love and respect (too).
COMMUNITY: Find a community that cares - that lifts you up when you can't stand - that believes in you, and your potential, when you're feeling low. Surround yourself with like-minded, motivated people who empower you to be the best version of yourself.

Check out our entire June newsletter focused on Empowerment here.

Give Yourself the Gift of Saying “No”

"The ability to say no to yourself is a gift. If you can resist your urges, change your habits, and say yes to only what you deem truly meaningful, you'll be practicing healthy self-boundaries. It's your responsibility to care for yourself without excuses." – Nedra Glover Tawwab, Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself

Can you think of saying “no” to yourself as a GIFT? It is – and it’s one of the best gifts you can give yourself. It’s also a responsibility. I see setting self-boundaries as part of my responsibility to care for myself, the same way I naturally see my responsibility to provide care for my loved ones.

EmpowermentKristi HornerJune 20, 2024Boundaries, Healthy Boundaries

JUNE 2023 Newsletter: EMPOWERMENT ... Grow Through What You Go Through 🌱

We LOVE talking about EMPOWERMENT! Empowerment is a "form of strength that stems from the self and community." It's also a process of BECOMING. Becoming stronger and more confident. As caregivers, empowerment is important for taking care of ourselves - self-empowerment - and providing care to others.

Empowerment might just be the BEST part of our "job." As we work to empower caregivers of ALL kinds - we're working to support them in becoming the best version of themselves! WHO do YOU want to BE or become?

Empowerment has kind of a RIPPLE EFFECT ... as caregivers become more empowered - they set an example for those in their care - they are role models for their loved ones to be more empowered, too!

As we work to prevent caregiver burnout - we love to empower caregivers to be their best selves.

5 TOOLS TO MANIFESTING EMPOWERMENT

MINDSET: What you THINK you BECOME! Notice - what is your current mindset? How do you feel about it? Do you want to make a change? You can SHIFT your mindset - make a list of your core values - how you want to BE and become - and set a goal (or two) towards pursuing those!
AFFIRMATIONS: Use affirmations to inspire you or reframe your thoughts. Affirmations are a great way to focus on positive self-talk and manifest the YOU that you want to BECOME.
JOURNAL: Journaling allows you to remember the good, bad and ugly from your day - a reminder of how you are BECOMING. It helps you to visualize where you've been and where you want to GO.
MEDITATION: “Meditation is an excellent way to start manifesting a better version of yourself. It’s about silencing and clearing the mind of all negative, unnecessary, and disturbing thoughts and ideas from the mind. With meditation, you can develop self-awareness, stress management skills and learn positive thinking techniques.” ~ Seriah Sargenton, Riyah Speaks
COMMUNITY: Find a community that cares - that lifts you up when you can't stand - that believes in you, and your potential, when you're feeling low. Surround yourself with like-minded, motivated people who empower you to be the best version of yourself.

Check out our entire June newsletter focused on Empowerment here.

Saying “No” Is a Healthy Practice

“The root of self-care is setting boundaries: it's saying no to something in order to say yes to your own emotional, physical, and mental well-being.”

~ Nedra Glover Tawwab, "Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself"

Some concepts are so essential to self-care that they keep coming up in our conversations, and this week’s topic is one of them. Ever since we started Courage to Caregivers, we’ve been talking about the importance of setting healthy boundaries. But let’s face it, we can all use a refresher now and then on how to both SET and MAINTAIN healthy boundaries.

EmpowermentKristi HornerJune 22, 2023Boundaries, Healthy Boundaries

Sometimes, You Have to Close Your Window

This week’s topic requires courage, self-awareness, and an understanding of the difference between healthy and unhealthy behaviors. Sounds like a lot, I know, but setting healthy boundaries is so important to having strong relationships and personal growth that it’s well worth the effort.

Creative EmpowermentKristi HornerJune 23, 2022Healthy Boundaries, Boundaries