To Be Who You Want

April 5, 2010 · Posted in Health, Tao 81 views

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So often these days we spend a lot of time and effort striving to make changes in ourselves. Many of us are trying to kick bad habits such as cigarette smoking. Even more are attempting to lose weight and keep themselves in good shape. Why is it such a struggle for some people?

Part of the answer is self-image. Self improvement is a total process, both physical and mental. Far too often we focus on the physical aspect and neglect the mental. For example, to lose weight, you need to develop good eating habits, stay active and see yourself as losing weight. The mind will attempt to maintain its self-image of the body. If you see yourself as overweight, then you are struggling against yourself when you try to lose it. Truthfully, changing your self perception can be the most challenging part for some and can be a reason leading to people giving up on their diet.

Self-image is not only about seeing yourself thinner. It’s important with all aspects of our life. We can see ourselves as being lucky, successful, happy and those things we will naturally promote with little to no effort.

So the real hurdle for us, between who we are and who we want to be, is who we think we are.

Our understand of who we are is dynamic and changes over time. However there are some things we cling onto that hinder positive development. Sometimes these things are even carried over from childhood. Were you teased in school and felt like an outcast? Obviously during our early years we learn a lot about who we are. However, sometimes what we accept is not always true. Our teenage social interactions can have lasting effects on our self-image for decades if not an entire lifetime. If those events were negative, they can have unwanted effects on our goals and decisions.

So how do we change our self-image? The most important thing is the desire to do so. Others can help you with positive encouragement, but ultimately, your own will to change is what’s required. Beyond desire, a powerful tool is visualization. You want to be thinner? You have to see yourself as thinner. If you need to lose 100 pounds, don’t try and see yourself as 100 pounds lighter. Start thinking of yourself as 10 or 20 pounds lighter. Even seeing that as a number and seeing that as where you are will help your mind to try and correct this difference between self-image and actual being.

Make a list of positive things about yourself. Make a list of things you have accomplished. Keep these positive things in your mind. Change your thoughts about yourself, and you will change yourself.

Tags: change, self-image, weight loss