Self-Image

Stop for a second and picture yourself.  What do you see?  What does your mind say when you picture yourself? Is that what you want? 

I watched this ad today and it reminded me that too many of us are our own worst critics, our own biggest obstacles, and generator of our own worst fears.  In my change work over the past 6 months I've started to realize how many clients view themselves as not good enough, and honestly NEVER good enough - from their work, to the way they look, to their bodies, to their clothes... whatever it may be. 

The hard part is that we often try to address the symptoms of this belief. If I had new clothes, then I'd feel better. If I had a 6-pack, then I'd feel good about my body. If I had a job that paid me six figures, then I'd feel better about myself.  But these things rarely work since the problem is with our PERCEPTION, not reality. 

So how can you begin to fix this?

By leveraging neuroscience and Hebb's Law (neurons that fire together, wire together), start with a very simple exercise.

Remember or imagine a time when you felt great. Work to feel the emotion in your body. If you're tapping into a specific memory, work all your senses to really get into the feeling of that memory - the smell of the air, the feelings of the textures around you, the colors and objects you see, the sounds around you, etc. If you're imagining, then make sure to include each of these different aspects in your imagination. If you're doing it right, you'll feel as if you were there.

Now think about your self-image.  Notice what shifts when you look at yourself from the mindset of joy as opposed to neutral or negative.

Pick a favorite memory that makes you feel happy, then think of your self-image (triggering emotions from the first to wire together with the second).  Imagine seeing a beautiful landscape or piece of art. Now think of yourself and notice the parts of you that are beautiful. 

Have fun with it - if you imagine feeling happy, and then look at your self-image what happens? Imagine feeling strong, and then look at your self-image. What shifts? Spend 5 minutes a day for a month and see how it changes your perception?