Self-image: The guide on how to create a grand self-image

What is Self-image image and why does it matter?

Self-image is a mental picture of the self. It is the image you make of yourself in your mind. It is the set of ideas you have about your own qualities and abilities. You make your image based on your experience, your environment and even through other’s opinion of you. The collective opinion of yourself is a Self-image.

Your self-image is created when you think of your appearance, your carrier, your position in the society or even your worth.

Your Self-image is made of your strength and your weakness and your perception of it. When a person has a low Self-image, then they tend to get shy or even depressed, hiding away from public. They try to change their appearance by changing everything that they don’t like.  Low Self-image is a source of problems in a person’s life since it creates sense of unworthiness in life. With it lack of success and depression become daily part of life.

On the other hand, too much of Self-image could be expressed through narcissism. Narcissism is too much ego that makes a person think that they are above everyone and everything is possible for them. This also is a problem since it creates a social chaos.

What is a healthy Self-image?

Healthy self-image is a balanced image. It is based on real world experience. It does not create pseudo impression of self-based on one’s fears or other’s opinion, but on cautiously identified image of the self. The negative Self-image create a negative self-perception that is based on critical judgement of the self. This judgement takes the negative side and is based on past failure, level of achievement, or income levels or education levels and it manifests on a single negative side.

People with poor Self-image constantly try to prove themselves in every situation and they fear how the society would react to their weakness. They became defensive and lonely trying to cover their flaws.

Others have overly inflated image that is larger than life. They consider others to be a chaos and destruction when they are the only angels in the world. These could be successful people but with stingy character that push everyone away.

Having a balanced Self-image is necessary to live a harmonious life.

How healthy Self-image is expressed

1-Positive outlook on life

Optimism and hope govern a good life. Hopeful person has a positive outlook on life. This is what makes the world to progresses regardless of the reality. It is unfair for a person to have a complete negative outlook on life. Having hope is part of healthy life. If you have a healthy image of yourself, you don’t fear tomorrow. You know you can do and become better in life. You are not caught up in the challenges the world poses. You know you can do it and you do it. You don’t blame yourself for failures. You don’t criticise yourself until you become depressed.

2-Balanced image of the self

You are not a perfect being. Nobody is. A person with a balanced Self-image celebrates the success and accepts the loss. People with these Self-image accept their flaws and see how they can improve it. They recognise opportunities to create a better self-image.

3-Healthy Self-image does not misunderstand the idea of self-worth

or the person’s importance in the society. Your self-worth is not defined by your success and failures, but with your potential and what you can offer to the world. You have high self-worth since you are a human being and you are capable of change. Your self-image should not affect your self-worth. This is what leads many people to idea of suicide. You should not judge your self-worth by what your life looks like today.

How can I create healthy Self-image?

As discussed above, self-image is a creation of the mind. It is the perception of the mind about oneself. This means you created that self-image regardless of the physical reality of it. This is means you can shape your self-image even though the physical reality stays same.

I know a story of woman who had surgery more than once to remove her long nose. In reality, her nose was so small that the doctor didn’t want to do the surgery on her. Even after half of her nose is gone in the first surgery, she wanted to go through the knife for the second time and for the third time.

Everything is in the mind.

Here are 3 steps create a healthy Self-image.

Ask three questions: what is my self-image; how do I think of myself; What challenges do I have that makes me despair. In order to answer the question, what you have to do is to list what comes to the mind.

• Do you think you have a healthy Self-image? If yes, why?
• when is the last time you blamed yourself for a long time so that you mind create that picture of you?
• Has anyone told you that you are not worthy of their time.
• Has anyone cheated on you? How does that affect in your life in your work life? write it as exhaustive as possible.

Summarise your ideas and see what kind of image you created for yourself. Is is the exaggerated or the poor self-image? Understand your self through your current perception. In order to change your ways, you first have to understand them.

Now, create a strong and clear Self-image that reflects your self-worth and strengths.  Don’t emphasise on the negative. You might have bad temper or you might be 30 pounds overweight. Luckily these are easily changed if you are willing to work on them. The only problem here is your cooperation and enthusiasm. If that is possible, why the need to create a poor self image.

Instead write a statement of your healthy Self-image. “I am beautiful,currently 30 pounds overweight but that does not define who I am or my self-worth. I will work out 5 days a week to lose 30 pounds with in the next 6 months. I want to do that since it is affecting my self-image.”

Then get dirty with work. Trying to change your self-image based on imagination or affirmation is like believing it is not snowing when the outside is white as a paper. Instead, try to change your story. Get education if you are affected with lack of education. Go hit that gym if your Self-image is affected by it. Go make friends if you are loner and your feel bad for yourself. Try as much as you can. And your will be OK.

Finally, self-image is a mental construction of the self. Everything of Self-image is inside the mind. Since there is not a perfect measure of Self-image, it is possible to misjudge Self-image. To become healthy human being, one should have a balanced self-image. Without it life becomes stressed and boring. Then get up and follow the article in to action.

Tell me, what did you learn from this. What is your self-image?