I am compelled to present two concepts that speak to the heart of what I believe: (1) psychological empowerment; and (2) locus of control.
According to Spreitzer (1995), Psychological Empowerment is the unbreakable set of four beliefs: (1) Meaning, which is the belief that a role provides value; (2) competence, which is the belief that a person has the necessary abilities to perform role actions; (3) self-determination, which is the belief that a person can direct their own efforts within a role; and (4) impact, which is the belief that a person within a role can influence and or change the context. If a person does not hold these four (4) beliefs within any role he or she fills, then I strongly believe that he or she may need to use a substance in order to quiet the lack psychological empowerment he or she has.
Locus of control is what occurs when people attribute the cause or control of events to either themselves or to an external environment. People who believe that their current situation is a result of their own actions are said to have an internal locus of control. People who believe that the external environment created and controls their situation are said to have an external locus of control (Knowles, 1992). These presentation of these concepts seeks to provide insight into how I seek to treat substance abuse.
Generally, is someone doesn’t feel like he or she is in control of his or her destiny, then life can become a trial that’s always on the verge of meting out a harsh sentence. If, however, a person knows he or she can mold his or her life, and holds a high-level of psychological empowerment, then that person will probably succeed in life. I believe with every fiber of my being that all people can design and build their lives and that they can hold the beliefs needed to form psychological empowerment, but it’s not an easy to teach people that this is possible. But, in time, I will share my vision with as many people as I can and “shotgun” the message in the hopes that people do begin to see that life is meaningful and that there is point to every breath that escapes our lungs. Is it easy to live with purpose? No. It’s way easier to gibe up and believe we aren’t worthy of an empowered life. It’s easy to say we’re poor and dumb ugly and not have to act on the truth that we are strong and capable and good and beautiful.
If it’s hard to believe, then look around and I’m willing to bet that there’s something amazing going on around you, right now. I bet if you look hard enough, you will see something amazing you’ve done. It’s all out there for us, waiting for us to discover our own greatness. The easy path won’t yield a damn thing. Believe that…
