Self Esteem
The level of self esteem that we take away from our early childhood influences will have a major impact on how much confidence we have or don't have in ourselves. But the impact those influences have on us are not set in stone, since they are set up as thought and behavior patterns that have become habitual and over time have also become unconscious and automatic behaviors, then we have the power and the tools to change them if necessary.
Self esteem and self confidence are indeed states of mind, but so is everything else we think of as our personal reality. So if this is true, then what we have allowed to become unconscious and automatic thinking and behavior patterns can be modified or changed by becoming aware and conscious of them once again and choosing to replace the ones that are negative and or destructive.
Confidence Or No Confidence
The details of the specifics of the origins of low self esteem and little self confidence are unique to each of us individually and it is helpful to explore them when we have the time and courage. But this is not necessary in order to change things. We only have to suspect that we are the victims of low self esteem and have little confidence in ourselves to make the appropriate changes. It is however helpful to understand some of the dynamics behind how our mind works to create and maintain the negative conditions of low self esteem and therefore the likelihood of very little confidence in ourselves.
Our self image is usually built from our early childhood experiences which configure our perception of ourselves. If those perceptions are negative and or self defeating, then that is the image of ourselves that will impact and affect everything in our lives from that point on. That basic self image will determine the activity of our mind, our thoughts, the activity of our imagination, everything mental and emotional. Because of this, we ourselves will support and perpetuate our own condition of low self esteem through constant negative reinforcement which is carried out through what has long ago become unconscious and automatic habitual thought and behavior patterns.
Escaping The Prisons Of Our Own Mind
It may sound silly that we can become the prisoners of our own mind, but this is almost an automatic consequence of not developing mental self discipline, self awareness and critical thinking skills. While critical thinking skills take years to develop, mental self discipline and self awareness are more practical and achievable goals. But still, these two strengths will require a little personal commitment and effort. Without them, the tools and techniques that are available to us for changing and or modifying our own thinking and behavior habits will be of little use and effectiveness.
Once we get the idea that we are of little value, then our mind, through the use of thought and imagination will set about reinforcing that mindset or idea of ourselves. But these are just thoughts that become habits that continue to affect our lives until we become aware of what is going on and determine to change things. But the first and most important step is to genuinely want to change our situation.
This also may sound strange, but another dynamic of our mind's behavior may be at work here as well. We may have carried these thought and behavior habits for so long that we are now completely comfortable with them and certainly have come to believe that they are what we actually are. The very idea of changing what has become our comfort zone is not easy to entertain. But it is either that, or our self imposed prison and accept life as a defeated person and never realize your right to enjoy all that life has to offer and which is yours by birth.
The Keys To Freedom
More and more people these days are beginning to realize that trying to find real answers to the challenges of life today, will not be found in the material world, the one that our civilization is so obsessed with the power to manipulate. Though it is difficult, we are now looking at the world within for the answers and finding them there. This is a new direction for our species, a paradigm shift from the material version of reality to a more spiritually based perception of reality. The industry that is growing up around this movement, and will serve that new direction by providing the tools and techniques necessary to help us find our answers, is still young and developing. But changing our thinking and behavior habits is not that big of a deal these days.
The keys to freedom from the tyranny of our own mind are meditation, affirmations, self talk, creative visualization, yoga and self hypnosis. These are the tools, techniques and strategies that have been developed to help us learn to see and live with the actual truth about reality and ourselves. Some of these have been around for centuries and are very powerful such as meditation and yoga, but remember, resources are useless without the initial desire to put them to good cause. Self esteem and self confidence are just such good causes. You can find links to all these resources at the Agenda Of Life Foundation's website, and if you're interested in getting quick results right from the start just to reinforce your self confidence, check out the free e-book on hypnosis below.
Get the free e-book that explores self hypnosis and
confidence here.