You probably know or know of someone who is an advocate.

Advocating is all the rage these days, everywhere you look it seems like people are raising their voices on social media platforms to advocate for something or someone. Both individuals and companies all seem to be shouting loudly to get your attention about certain causes and it can often be confusing, overwhelming, and in some cases can come off as attention seeking, rather than based on a desire to actually promote real change.

But what is an advocate and what does advocacy looks like?

According to dictionary.com an Advocate is someone who speaks or writes in favor of a particular group or person, who spreads support or urge by arguing on their behalf, often (but not always) publicly.

And according to Wikipedia, Advocacy “aims to influence decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to influence public policy, laws and budgets by using facts, their relationships, the media, and messaging to educate government officials and the public.”

In the realm of social services, education, and the health field, professionals are often expected to be advocating for the oppressed in some way. But in the last several years it’s not just professionals who are taking a stand, but seemingly anyone and everyone with access to social media.

While there is currently a lot of debate on whether or not digital advocacy on social media makes an actual difference in US policy, we do know that social media campaigns can highlight issues by bringing it to the forefront of societies consciousness and by raising awareness and educating social media users. An example of this is the MeToo movement.

But before rushing to jump on the next trend of advocating for a hot-ticket item, ask yourself… can you empower others if you are not first empowering yourself?

And are you a self-advocate who is supporting your own inner voice?

According to the self-help website, selfadvocatenet.com, self-advocacy is when you first empower yourself by becoming a whole, powerful person that is a able to speak-up for yourself and your needs. It means you know the rights you are entitled to and take responsibility by making proactive choices and decisions to better yourself and your life. It means you first learn self-advocacy skills and learn to listen to your inner voice and your instincts so you can make decisions that you feel good about.

Building self-confidence and not making decisions to please others will help you assert yourself and, as they say, live your best life. Also pursuing healing from trauma, and changing your mindset to that of positivity will put you on a path towards wholeness so that you can be the best version of yourself. Because sometimes the best way to help someone who is struggling, is to first help yourself and demonstrate healthy methods of change. In other-words, being a living example of what it looks like to be whole and empowered can lead others to wholeness and empowerment in your wake. You can create a culture of wholeness and empowerment that helps aid those who are less fortunate than you. And you can share your own experiences and talk about the hard battles you’ve won, that led you to empowerment so that others can follow in your footsteps.

You can’t save someone who is drowning, when you’re drowning yourself. Likewise you can’t advocate and empower others when you are not empowered yourself, or else your actions will fall short of making actual change, and people may end up viewing you as a hypocrite.

That’s not to say that you have to wait until you are a perfectly healthy and whole person, before you can aide others, just that it’s best to lead by example. Advocating for an issue that you have experience in will ring truer and reach more people, than it would if you’ve have no personal stake in the matter.

This can be accomplished in two ways, by ensuring that your activism doesn’t solely exist on social media and by learning to first self-advocate and empower yourself.

You can become an advocate by being a real-life activist, volunteer your time to aide the cause or get educated on the topic through trusted, unbiased resources rather than just the news and social media. Join a local or online group to stay informed, and most importantly open yourself up to hear both sides of the issues rather than living in an echo chamber that simply reinforces your point of view.

Secondly and most importantly, develop skills that help you self-advocate and empower yourself. You can do this by giving yourself a voice. So find people that you trust and start sharing out loud what you think and feel. Start speaking up for the things you believe in, rather than keeping quiet so as to not make waves. Take responsibility for the decisions you’ve made in your life and understand what is and isn’t in your control. Look at yourself without contempt or unrealistic expectations and attempt to better yourself. Be compassionate with yourself as you strive to be the best you possible.

And if you are not experiencing the freedom to take control of your life, ask yourself what needs to change and who you need to get away from, so that you have the freedom to be in control of your own life. Give yourself authority to be the expert on your life; only you have to live with the decisions you make, so make sure you are the one making them in your own self-benefit. The more you assert your independence, the more confident you will feel, and even if the choices you make end up being the wrong ones, instead of beating yourself up, see it as a learning curve. Take responsibility for your actions and try again as you work towards your goals. And lastly, remember that no one is an island, and that the most empowered people have a strong support system. This doesn’t mean that you let the people around you make decisions for you, or influence your decisions, but rather that you gather people around you who support you no matter what and cheer you on as you continue on your journey towards becoming a powerful person, who can in turn empower others.

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