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BURGERS – A Guide to Agency

Finding your agency is a critical step to unlocking your authentic expression and potential.

Personal agency is an essential aspect of actualization.

What is Agency?

At its best, agency is defined as “the ability of a person to be aware of and exercise choices related to their well-being and joy.”

Why Agency Matters to Actualization

Without agency for ourselves, we feel stuck, suppressed, and unseen. When we don’t afford others their agency, we impose ourselves on others disregarding their needs.

When we have agency, we can better express ourselves and behave in ways that are authentic to ourselves. It also gives us room to explore our potential.

When we support and are allies for others in their agency, we give them space to be themselves and self-determined/-governing.

Mutual agency is a liberatory practice where no person seeks to impose their choices on others; instead we seek to establish how we can be in relationship with each other (we) while also respecting each others needs (me).

BURGERS: A Framework for Agency

For us, the gold-standard agency practice has the following characteristics as defined by Human Relations Consultant Nyx Noc of (Viridi Lux Consulting):

  • (B)oundaries: Do you know them, can you state them, will you hold them?

  • (U)nderstanding: Do you understand yourself, your own limitations, and your needs and wants?

  • (R)esponsibility: Can you take ownership of your choices?

  • (G)ood Faith Communication: Are you communicating actively and with integrity?

  • (E)quity: Even within a hierarchical culture, do you seek a commitment to meeting needs at all levels?

  • (R)esilience: Are you practicing regular self-care, taking meds, talking to trusted friends or professionals, addressing your "shadow"?

  • (S)elf-awareness: Are you practicing frequent self-check-ins, gut-checks, or listening to intuition?

Reflect on Your Sense of Agency

Think about this for yourself to determine where you can practice agency better:

  • Which of these are you practicing today? How could they be better?

  • Which of these practices are missing? How could you introduce them?

  • Where and when have you seen your agency not honored by others?

  • Where is a lack of practice getting in the way of your authentic expression or potential?

  • What factors in your environment are inhibiting agency as a shared practice?

  • Who in your life isn’t recognizing your agency?

  • What are you doing to support others’ agency?