Seeing Ourselves the Way We Should

There are a lot of people in the world today that feel they fall short of what they ought to live up to. Everyone has different responsibilities to fulfill and sometimes life just gets too hectic that you fail to meet all of them. This can often makes us feel incompetent and unreliable which causes us to see ourselves negatively. Seeing ourselves the way we should is hard to do but with some hard work and perseverance you can do it.

Self Esteem/ Self Image

You are the only person who can make you happy. Have you ever said the “if only” creed? What am I talking about? Well, if only I was a size 2 I would be happy; if only I lived in a bigger house I would be happy; if only I was married I would be happy. You get the point; we have all been there and done that. If you think that you can find happiness anywhere else besides inside yourself you are wrong. The most important factor to your happiness and well being is self esteem. High self esteem will help you become more confident in yourself and help you see yourself as you really are.

Self image is the mental image you have of yourself; it is how you perceive yourself. This happens over a number of years and through many different experiences. It is important that your self image be positive and realistic. Unrealistic ideas about who you are can make you feel more insecure about yourself and foster more negative ideas, while positive thinking can help you have a more confident self image. Positive thinking can be one of the most critical aspects of helping you improve your self image. Here are some strategies to help you become more positive in your thinking:

•Accept your imperfections. Let’s face it; there isn’t anyone out there that is perfect (although some will try to make you think they are). Everyone has weaknesses and everyone has strengths. Realizing what your imperfections are and working to make them your strengths will give you a sense of achievement. The greatest thing to conquer in life is you.

•Find your strengths. Just as we all have imperfections that we need to work on, we also have many strengths; some we may not even know yet. Capitalize on those strengths and use them to help others.

•Be responsible for your feelings. People who have a positive self image and see themselves as they should would not expect you or anyone else to make them happy. Do not expect others to make you happy. Take responsibility for the good days and the bad. Be proactive; do not react to what others may say or do. You create your own feelings and make your own decisions.

•Be grateful. Instead of seeing the glass half empty, turn things around and look at what things you have in your life that you can be grateful for. Family, friends, children or whatever it may be. Sit down and make a list of everything you have in your life.

•Forgive. If there are things in your life, or people that have offended you let go of the offense and move on with your life. Life is way too short to hold a grudge for more than five minutes. This is difficult to do, especially if the offense is a big one, but once you let go of this weight you will begin to forgive yourself and feel better about who you are.

•Good deeds. Try doing something good for someone else, and you will be surprised how good it makes you feel. Offering a service can refine character and shape a positive self image.

As you try and do these things to create a positive self image you will begin to see yourself as you should. You will be more confident in who you are. You will be a better you. And that is the best that anyone can hope for.