Today is the second in a series devoted to you and getting yourself moving. Last week, we talked about the need to Clean and Clear your Mind as a point for beginning this process. Now that we have removed some of the debris that clutters our minds, let’s talk about thinking better of yourself.
Most of us have no problem accepting the mistakes of other people as normal. We are often much harder and tougher on ourselves about our own mistakes and screw-ups. If this is you, I can already tell you that you’re being too hard on yourself! You were created with a unique set of talents that no one else has. Plus, everyone makes mistakes. And you, like the rest of us, are only human!
Becoming more accepting of yourself and loving yourself for the fine person that you really are can lead you to greater happiness and a more fulfilling life.
So, how do you get comfortable in your own skin?
1. Acknowledge and focus on your positive qualities. Even though I write and speak about self-improvement, it is important that you identify and focus on the positive qualities that you already possess. You need to put your attention here, on the positive, rather than placing all of your concentration on the qualities you feel negatively about.
Maintaining a positive focus will not only help you get better at accepting yourself, but it will also make it easier for you to achieve your goals by utilizing your talents to boost yourself forward.
2. Skip the negative thinking. Consciously prevent negative thinking patterns. Negative thinking can really snowball on you quickly if you don’t get ahead of it. It’s okay to be in a bad mood every once in awhile and have some negative thoughts; it happens to all of us. The trick is in learning how to push through those negative thoughts, sweep them aside and replace them with something positive.
Instead, make a conscious and conscientious effort to replace your negative thoughts about yourself with affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements that affirm your positive qualities and help bring out the best in you. You can find affirmations in bookstores and on websites, or you can write your own. I post new affirmations on my own site every weekend.
If you have belief in yourself, you can do almost anything. It’s really that simple.
3. You are not perfect; so what! Accept your imperfections. Another part of being human is having some imperfections. Instead of dwelling on those things that you cannot change, accept them for what they are. Making the best of your life starts with accepting your imperfections.
4. Talk to yourself. Use positive, affirming self-talk. Positive self-talk can help you achieve great things and change the way you think about yourself. Make it a point to give yourself sincere compliments.
Compliment yourself for the good things about your looks, your positive qualities, and every time you do something right. Do this each and every day until you make it a habit.
5. Ignore the thoughts of others. And certainly ignore what you think other people might think about your decisions. Accept that you will never be able to make everyone else happy. If you try, you’ll soon discover that, not only will other people still be unhappy, and that you will be exhausted by the effort, but that you are unhappy yourself.
Make your mind up to make your own decisions according to your priorities and be confident that you’ve done what is right for you.
6. Stop worrying. Worrying has never helped your situation. Has it? Rather than wasting your time by being engulfed in fear, take action to do what you can to make the situation better. If there’s nothing you can do to change it, focus on moving forward in other ways. Do what you can and let the rest go.
7. Try your best and accept that you’ve done what you could in a particular situation. Do your best every day and have pride in yourself for your efforts. Let go of any negative thoughts, such as being angry with yourself for not being able to accomplish an impossible feat.
And, on those rare occasions when you know that you haven’t given your best, find a way to forgive yourself. Move on and commit to yourself that you will try harder next the time.
In changing the way you think about yourself, you will also radically change the way you see the world. Every day opens up new opportunities for you, and by utilizing a little key positive thinking, you can make a real difference!
For more on this topic visit www.MartinaMcGowan.com
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photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidfg/3059196646/sizes/z/in/photostream/
[...] life. We have cleared our minds of the detritus. We have found a ways to seek out and recognize the positives that are already within us, bring them into the light and sharpen them. We have engaged our true [...]