“Butterflies can’t see their wings. They can’t see how truly beautiful they are, but everyone else can. People are like that as well.” — Naya Rivera
We see the people and the world around us and make judgments about them all the time. Our brain is programmed to make judgments in an instant, which has served us well in evolution. But, this may not always be the best thing. Unfortunately, because we can choose how we view ourselves, we tend to view ourselves in a negative light. So how do you view yourself?
Many of us can see the positive qualities in others yet we only see the imperfections in ourselves. Instead of thinking about what we are good at or how we help others, we think about our mistakes or how we are not as attractive, smart, or fit as we would like to be. Having these negative thoughts about ourselves causes us to have a low self-esteem.
According to Jim Rohn, “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Before thinking about the five people you spend the most time with, remember that you spend every hour of life with yourself. Our inner voice and self-thoughts have a bigger influence on what we do than we might think. When we think negatively about ourselves, we are participating in negative self-talk that emphasizes our mistakes and diminishes our successes.
We can change this around by improving our self-esteem. When we are fueled by our successes, we are motivated to embark on new challenges to become successful. This doesn’t mean we should completely ignore our mistakes. Instead, use these mistakes as learning experiences, so that we are more likely to be successful in the future.
Sometimes having others mention our positive qualities can be helpful in starting this process, so ask your friends and family what they admire about you. Remember that you are not limited by your career or your current life situation. You are more than a student or an employee. You are a person, who is given the gift to live a precious life. You have had your ups and downs as well as your challenges and successes. You are a work in progress. You are unlocking your unlimited potential within you to achieve more than you ever thought possible.
Think about your current goals. Could your own view of yourself be holding you back? Have you ever approached a problem and just thought you couldn’t do it? Most people have. But you can’t sell yourself short. You can do more than you might think.
As our view of ourselves change, how we approach our goals will change as well. We might just be more likely to go for it. Periodically, it’s important to pause and really think about how you view yourself. How do you currently see yourself, and what’s the ideal version of yourself that you imagine? What steps, actions, and goals can you take to get closer to making that ideal version a reality? The way we view ourselves influences the way we view the world around us. Take a look at how you view yourself and remember the positive characteristics and successful moments. When we take this approach, we will become successful from the inside-out.
***Check out my guest post, The Power of Emotional Awareness.***
Thanks for reading! Did you like this post? If so, please like it, share it, and write a comment below! If you want to see more of these posts, please subscribe to my blog here! How do you plan on improving the way you view yourself? Let us know in the comments below!