It s the times when I was given respect, especially when I didn t deserve it, that I was influenced the most. Autonomy is the state of existing or functioning independently from another or others. When we are autonomous, we have the ability to make our own way and are not dependent on others for assistance, guidance or support. Autonomy doesn t mean we should separate or isolate ourselves from others, but that we are capable of functioning without them if we need to. An important fact is to know that just because people have successfully made their own way in life doesn t automatically make them autonomous.
Autonomy requires much more than physical independence.
Until we become true to ourselves emotionally, mentally and spiritually, we remain trapped at some level within the confines of dependence. Many people have moved thousands of miles away from their families to escape the dynamics of control and domination, only to find that they have carried the curse of their childhood across the country with them. Being powerful means having the ability to initiate, engage and follow through. Power and force are not the same. To practice being powerful, we must be willing to set aside our need to control, dominate and manipulate.