Choosing The Right Image

How much do you think self-image matters? Is it as important to you, as say, your health? 

The word ‘self-image’ makes me cringe a little because of how it was thrown around back when I was younger. People made it seem like it was a sin to think about yourself in any sort of higher manner.

I’m not really sure where I got that idea, but I did somewhere in my long ago past. 

A few weeks ago, I came across a podcast on self-image that caught my eye, so I listened and, holy smoke, after thinking about it I realized I don’t really believe in myself like I should, and I can see where it’s guided my decisions throughout life. 

Now, I’m not an expert on this but it’s not rocket science, either. It’s unpeeling an onion that’s in the pit of you and deciding what needs work and what doesn’t.

How do you really feel about who you are? How has the environment programmed you, shaped you? What do you truly, truly, believe about you? 

Is how you grew up guiding you without you being aware that it does? Were you in an environment that didn’t encourage achievement, or dreaming, or taking your creative abilities to a higher plane?

The images we hold of ourselves are expressed outside of us, too. Our created world. Look at your surroundings.

Look at the type of friends you’ve attracted to yourself. Your self care, the money you make, the place you work. The way you talk. All created by you and your self-image. 

Our success in life is totally weaved into our self-image. 

The way we see ourselves is foundational to our success in all areas of created life and much of it depends on the dialogues deep within us. 

Dialogues you’ve grown comfortable with because you say, ‘this is who I am and I can’t change it.” 

A lot of that dialogue has been learned in negative environments over the many years and we take it on as if it were true about us. 

So, what do you do? Change your inner dialogue, the podcast explained. And guess what. I believe it because I have been practicing the work on myself. And still am. 

If all is well with you, then fine. 

But I didn’t realize how my deeper thoughts of myself were secretly sabotaging me. 

At some point, becoming aware of how you really feel about yourself and how it stops you (if it does) is vital. Becoming aware of how your paradigm (the ideas, thoughts, and teachings you grew up with) can literally keep you in a constant state of sameness all your life.

I know this very well.  

When you decide you want more out of life, out of yourself, understanding how you become self-sabotaging by your own self-image is crucial to understand. 

If you want change, you have to change inside. Not just skimming the surface, but deeper. 

If you’d like to see something greater, happier, and more free but seem to hit a wall every time you try to go higher, then maybe changing your inside dialogue is important.

It can change the way you have conversations with people, it can help accomplish goals, and help make better decisions. 

It takes time and consistency because you may feel like you’re lying to yourself, but eventually you’ll see change taking place if you keep cutting away the wrong words and grafting in the right words. 

I use this example in my book for teen girls, Don’t Do It My Way, if you made yourself a twin, what would you say to her, how would you encourage her?

Take that same beautiful advice and say it to yourself over and over. 

I know this takes some work. And it’s going to take time because good seeds planted in well nourished ground need time to grow, but it will produce good fruit in your life. Try it. I don’t think you’d be sorry.