Having a Positive Self-Image

You control your destiny. If you understand that important fact, you’ll learn the greatest results come from creating and maintaining a positive self-image. Self-image reflects the visualization you have of yourself and develops from past events and future expectations.

As you build and maintain a positive self-image, you become better in many ways. You develop an inner peace and happiness, which leads to increased success and positive mental attitude (“PMA”). The benefits are realized in your work and among your family and friends.

In business, people want to deal with professional, successful people. A positive self-image projects success to your clients, friends and associates; sales are increased, work is more productive, success is achieved more often.

Positive events happen in life when you believe in your talents and abilities. Those events, in turn, create a positive self-image. Thus, improving your self-image becomes a key factor in developing into the person you wish to become. A good self-image also helps you live a fuller and happier life.

The more positive your self-image, the better feelings you have about yourself. There is less tension and greater peace of mind. The pressures of worrying about who you are or of questioning your abilities are relieved. A positive self-image is a confidence builder. You become more self-assured in dealings with customers or friends.

This self-confidence triggers a chain reaction through those successful events and positive feelings. Your life gradually becomes consistent with your self-image, which carries over into all plans and activities. You become what you have visualized yourself to be.

A positive self-image develops confidence in your personal abilities as you meet with success. You become more goal-oriented. You motivate yourself to act on those activities in life that you consider important.

The choice is yours to make. Remember, it is much more productive, from a success standpoint, to have a positive self-image.
Action Steps

1. Realize that creating a positive self-image takes time. You must be willing to work at it continuously.

2. Learn from your mistakes. Don’t dwell on past failures or disappointments, but do what you can to prevent them from happening again.

3. Treat each setback as a learning experience, instead of something to fear.

4. Remove the word ‘failure’ from your vocabulary. If you think of yourself as a failure, you’ll fail.

5. Believe in yourself and your abilities. You will have more confidence in the tasks you undertake.

6. Strive to become a better person. This keeps you from becoming complacent and strengthens your self-image as success increases.

7. Create a burning desire to become more successful. Set higher goals for yourself. Goals are really your attitudes. The higher the goal, the more you must believe in yourself to achieve it.

8. Remember past successes. The more you remember the stronger your belief in yourself and the more positive your self-image becomes.

9. Make success habit forming. Think successful and you will be successful.

10. Visualize yourself succeeding at whatever you are doing. Realizing the rewards of your success increases your PMA and self-image.

The goal of Hilton Head Island Performance Group’s development programs is to empower people to achieve excellence, gain the competitive edge and help them live a long, happy and successful life. This is accomplished through weekly life learning planners, conferences and workshops, an integrated Web site and more.

Visit hhiperformancegroup.com to learn how HHIPG’s programs can help you achieve greater happiness and success!