Empowerment: A Six Principles Anthology Book

Empowerment: A Six Principles Anthology Book by Charlie Botting is one of the books in our Six Principle Anthology series which share blog stories written by Trails to Empowerment community members, guests, volunteers and students. Focusing on one of the Six Principles, Empowerment, this book shares stories about the experiences and mindsets that help us become more empowered.

All of our Six Principles are a holistic concept as each principle is essential for every other principle. The natural outcome of each of the other principles is empowerment, such as when we learn a new skill or support someone else to overcome a challenge. But this also becomes a self-perpetuating cycle. The more we learn, the more empowered we feel and so the more confident we are to take on bigger challenges, leading to greater learning opportunities in all of the other principles. Our perceived ability to contribute to something greater than self such as an empowerment culture and nature conservation also increases as we become more empowered.

We don’t define empowerment by titles, status or power over others, but it is the inner strength and feeling that comes from having the skills, mindset and responsibility to get the job done, in a culture of equals where power comes from within. Our remote wilderness setting amplifies this as we run chainsaws, drive heavy equipment or guide guests deep in the backcountry are often experiences we would never experience elsewhere, or didn’t even know were possible. They then become opportunities to take responsibility, overcome challenges and experience meaningful accomplishments.​

One of the key principles is intentional work, you can find out lots more about this in Lea Dahlke’s book Intentional Work here. For us, work is a conscious choice which aligns with our interests, goals and purpose and contributes to something greater than self. Whether we are working in the office, kitchen, barn or backcountry, long days are still physically and mentally demanding, but they are energizing rather than exhausting when we practice the concepts of intentional work. The responsibility is an investment in ourselves and to the bigger picture. This creates a strong feeling of empowerment.

Meaningful accomplishment is also a key factor in empowerment. When we learn new skills such as guiding guests on a pack trip, we overcome self-doubt and challenges, gaining confidence to gradually build up to guiding more challenging trips, such as in the fall with harsher weather or tracking a particular species. In this sense, the empowerment from meaningful accomplishments becomes addictive and we want to repeat these experiences again and again.

Our egalitarian culture is also a vital part of empowerment, particularly for female empowerment. While guiding has historically been a male-dominated industry, in the Trails to Empowerment community, women outnumber men and all opportunities are available to everyone, as long as they take responsibility to invest in themselves. Gerry Bracewell, BC’s first licenced female hunt guide is a role model for all of us in the Trails to Empowerment community and several stories describe her impact and legacy. Everyone mentors each other and all can take on the role of leader when we are ready to do so.

Empowerment doesn’t always come from once-in-a-lifetime experiences in the backcountry or driving heavy equipment. It also comes from the conversations we have, that are shaped by our egalitarian culture. People-pleasing and deferring to others robs us of our empowerment and the opportunity to be self-sufficient. As we discuss with our fellow community members how we act unconsciously or unempowered in certain situations, we are able to grow and chose roles that allow us to experience empowerment instead of relying on others to help us. From this we grow from being a mentee to a mentor, sharing lessons with others and helping them on their own journeys.

For those of us who are no longer physically present at the ranch or have chosen to stay long term, the journey doesn’t end when the training program does or when we return home. Empowerment is a lifelong journey as we take on bigger challenges such as becoming an entrepreneur, raising money for charities or opening a restaurant in France. Many former community partners remain involved as global partners, continuing to live by the Six Principles and returning to the Chilcotin Ark whenever they can.​

Empowerment: A Six Principles Anthology Book is available in paperback and ebook on our partner, Fortress Books and Web’s website here.

Want to learn more about Empowerment with an online course? Our Empowerment online course from our training partner, the Institute for Human Potential, will introduce you to the principle of empowerment and how to apply it in your life. Sign up here.

Want to experience some of these wilderness opportunities for yourself? Our partner, Wilderness Trails’ Wilderness Lifestyle Experience allows you to experience all of this and more – you’re only limited by your imagination. Find out more about the Wilderness Lifestyle Experience here.

Find more recommended books from the Trails to Empowerment community here.