*** Empowerment Tips from George Michael - Pop Star

Spending an entire day at an airport dealing with one flight delay after another was once a nightmare for me. I have since learned to look for the gift in every experience. My recent, and much anticipated, trip to Italy began with such an unexpected day. Instead of pouting thinking my entire ...Spending an entire day at an airport dealing with one flight delay after another was once a nightmare for me. I have since learned to look for the gift in every experience. My recent, and much anticipated, trip to Italy began with such an unexpected day. Instead of pouting thinking my entire trip was off to a bad start I decided to look for the gift; and found it.

It was in the music piped through the speakers that permeated every corridor and concourse. Lyrics calling out to me to remind me to stay centered in the truth of who I am, someone who enjoys life and can magically turn lemons into lemonade. This time the message came to me through the voice of pop star, George Michael.

"I think there's something you should know
I think it's time I told you so
There's something deep inside of me
There's someone else I've got to be."
- George Michael "Freedom"

I remembered the 'old me'. Well, it wasn't really me back then. As a child I put who I was so far on the proverbial back burner that I forgot I was there through a good deal of my adulthood. Many of you have been or are in that suppressed place now, pretending to be someone you are not. That state of being simply doesn't work. It doesn't feel good. It's exhausting.

Oh, like you, I was able to Find Excuses And Reasons (F.E.A.R.) why my life wasn't working out the way I wanted it to. It was because of things beyond my control such as the economy, a mad control freak boss, a jerk of a boyfriend, the glass ceiling, the good old boys network. Yeah, right. My life wasn't working out because I was not being true to who I was. I was pretending to be a shark of an analytical corporate executive when I was really a whimsical playful artistic spirit itching to create with my right brain instead of my left.

Facing each day wearing a 'false me' suit sucks the life force right out of you.

"Take back your picture in a frame
Take back your singing in the rain
I just hope you understand
Sometimes the clothes do not make the man."
- George Michael "Freedom"

The heart of the message is that at any time, in any moment, you can step back into your power and live your life authentically in alignment with your truth, your passions and in tune with what inspires you. You can simply tell that Inner Critic of yours who's been handing you marching orders since you were knee high that you are rewriting the game plan and are fully in charge from this second forward. The Inner Critic will grumble and complain and throw some drama in your way here and there to trip you up. But like the scared little imp it that it is, the Inner Critic will finally settle down and behave. It will grow up and learn how to serve you instead of hide you.

"All we have to do now
Is take these lies and make them true somehow
All we have to see
Is that I don't belong to you
And you don't belong to me."
- George Michael "Freedom"

From what I've read from time to time in the headlines, perhaps it's time for George Michael to listen to that voice deep inside of him calling to be something else. As a brilliant and talented singer and musician he has chosen to follow a pattern of self destructive behavior instead of channeling that energy into the magnificent gifts that are his birthright.

"I won't let you down
I will not give you up
Gotta have some faith in the sound
It's the one good thing that I've got
I won't let you down
So please don't give me up
Because I would really, really love to stick around."
- George Michael "Freedom"

Nearly eight hours later I was boarding my flight to Italy dancing down the airplane aisle having turned a lemon day into lemonade.