In the previous article, the importance of your self-image was surfaced. Here, I will dive into the list of ways to develop your self-image so you can begin elevating your life experience. So, let’s get right into it.
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Be honest with yourself.
Honesty is the best policy. Do not deceive yourself. Lying to yourself distorts your vision of yourself, and of others. It would be like believing the reflection of a broken mirror to be reality.
When you lie to yourself, it doesn’t matter how much work you put in. The fruits of your labor, and all of your potential, are buried under layers of illusion and deception.
To reach your full potential, you’ve got to be fully honest with yourself.
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Develop your imagination.
“Where there is no vision, the people perish; but they that keepeth the law, happy are they.”
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—Proverbs 29:18
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In the scripture, “the law” that is referred to is the Universal Law of Thought and Manifestation: If you can think it, you can do it. If you can visualize it, you can become it.
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Anything can be accomplished through your imagination.
You can develop your imagination by reading insightful material, engaging with inspired people, going to places you’ve never been, sitting in silence, and envisioning new possibilities in your daily experiences and relationships.
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Where your imagination leads, your reality follows.
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Be able to relax.
Besides sleep, people don’t create the space to relax within their days. Watching TV or scrolling social media is not relaxing; your mind is still being stimulated while doing these things.
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True relaxation is key to reducing the stress that so many people experience these days. Too much stress over a long period of time can decrease your energy levels, screw up your judgement, and cause physical dis-ease.
Also, relaxing gives you the time and space to “communicate with your subconcious mind and tap into that well of universal knowledge, wisdom, energy, and understanding (Dr. Herbert Harris, The 12 Universal Laws of Success).”
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Have that winning feeling.
Look good. Feel good. Play good.
Before you can be a winner, you’ve got to feel like a winner. That winning feeling is reflected in the way you walk and talk. People can feel it radiating from you. And, they are attracted to it. When you embody the feeling of a winner, you become a magnet for the things that a winner needs to win.
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Cultivate good habits.
You are your habits. Period. If you’re not where you want to be in life, you probably don’t have the habits that would get you there.
“Sow an act and you will reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you will reap a destiny.”
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—G.D. Boardman
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Good habits are those that contribute to positive cycles of health, wealth, and relationships. To raise your standard of living in each area of your life, you must cultivate good habits that correlate to the respective area of your life. Need better health? Cultivate better sleeping habits, better eating habits, better exercise habits… Need better relationships? Cultivate better social habits that foster respect, kindness, and trust.
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You decide your habits, and your habits decide your fate.
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Aim to be happy.
Happiness is the goal. It can’t be achieved by mindless wandering. Like a target, you have to aim for it.
Happiness is not the same as pleasure, or comfort. Those are forms of escape.
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Happiness is something that is earned from engaging with life to the fullest. It is a byproduct of right living.
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Expect happiness, and work towards it within everything that you do.
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Unmask.
Your mask is an accumulation of the beliefs, expectations, impressions, and perceptions that you’ve picked up — consciously and unconsciously — from the time that you were born. It is made up of all the insecurities, self-limiting beliefs, and cultural ideals that have been projected onto you by those around you.
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Without proper awareness, you believe that your mask is your true self. But your mask is only a facade. Underneath it is the real you. This is why you must unmask: to know yourself. To be able to realize, and let go of, the beliefs that are holding you back.
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Once you unmask, you will feel relief from the weight that you’ve been carrying around most your life. You will feel weightless, and free to be who you decide.
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Have compassion.
Everybody is going through their own struggles, and experiencing their own pain. It isn’t our responsibility to compare each other’s battles, but to be sensitive to the needs of others and offer assistance when we can.
As you progress on your own journey, and overcome your own obstacles, you will become more aware of how you can help others on their journey.
Compassion is at the core of human relation. It is our duty to connect with it so that we can all grow together. We’re only as strong as our weakest link. Practicing compassion ensures that we’re all taken care of.
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Grow from your mistakes.
Most people navigate through life trying their best to avoid making mistakes. Therefore, most people never become great at anything. Mistakes are necessary to becoming the best version of yourself.
Instead of avoiding them, embrace them. Embrace sucking at things. Embrace making a fool out of yourself. In the long run, after countless mistakes, you will be the one people look up to.
The only way to grow and elevate your life experience is by taking risks, making mistakes, and then learning from them. Allow your mistakes to become the markers guiding your way on your authentic journey.
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Acknowledge your weaknesses.
This ties back to being honest with yourself. For you to become everything you’re meant to be, you must acknowledge the parts of yourself that need to be worked on.
Refusing to acknowledge and work on your weaknesses, again, buries all of your potential under layers of illusion and deception.
- Be yourself.
By being yourself you become a magnet for everything that is meant for YOU.
You will attract the opportunities that open the doors to your dreams.
And, you will attract the people that will teach you, support you, and inspire you along the way.
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Never stop growing.
“The moment you reject the growth principle of life, you accept the static principle of death. The only way to attain the good health, wealth, happiness, prosperity you seek and deserve is to grow into these qulaities and attributes. To maintain them, you must continue to grow…”
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—Dr. Herbert Harris
There is no such thing as staying the same. As long as you are alive, change is always taking place. It is up to you whether you’re growing or decaying.
As you begin practicing and improving your self-image, you will notice how it is the little things that make the biggest impact; starting with your thoughts.
