You can never outperform your self-image

One of the greatest and perhaps the most life changing lesson I learned was that we truly can’t outperform our self image. I realized that if I was going to be happy, healthy and wealthy, I had to first be able to see myself living the life, then learn to believe I deserved it with passion and expectation that it would materialize exactly as I had envisioned. It was extremely important for me go through this process and not allow my current circumstance – the results I was currently getting to hold me back from creating the new winning self-image that I truly desired.

Unfortunately a lot of people (including me) get stuck here and that’s what I want to talk a little bit about.

We need to really grasp the fact that one of our biggest obstacles in life is our self image.  Your self image can be your biggest supporter or your most difficult challenger. We often don’t see ourselves as we wish we could be. We tend to compare our weaknesses with other people’s strengths – but we do have the power to create our image as we want to be and then become that image.

Decide What you Want.
Decide What You Are Willing to Give up to Get it.
Set Your Mind on It.
Get on With The Work

There’s a great lesson here in H.L. Hunt’s quote, so let’s take a look point by point

“Decide what you want”

• make a decision as to what you really want, not what you think you can get but what you really want this is a very important step.
• try to see yourself living as you want to, doing what you want to, being what you want to be and having what you want, make a decision and go ahead and create a clear picture

Go ahead, take your time and really give some thoughts to this.

“Decide what you are prepared to give up to get it”

• this where we need to learn to let go of that old image
• be willing to give up the old patterns of thinking that created that self-image

Understand

• the past is gone
• that old self-image is giving you the results you have now
• let go of those destructive habits, make room for a new way of being.
• if you want to change your life, you’ve got to change your life
• you’ve got to change the image – your winning self image
• so let go – make room for the new

“Set your mind on it”

This where you have to start to see your new image, feel the emotion that’s attached to your new winning self-image

• get emotionally involved with the new image
• plant that new picture firmly in your mind, over and over again
• understand by doing so – it will manifest
• above all be grateful for the new image, as if you already were the new you!

“Get on with the work”

• take action to move yourself in that new direction
• take the first step
• It’s important to understand that we must step forward with belief and an expectant attitude
• expect what you desire
• act as if you are already the person you desire to be
• act based on that new winning self-image

Maxwell Maltz captures it perfectly here – he said

The self-image is the key to human behavior. Change the self image and you change the personality and the behavior.

I found this really interesting – Eric Hoffer said here

No matter what our achievements might be, we think well of ourselves only in rare moments. We need people to bear witness against our inner judge, who keeps book on our shortcomings and transgressions. We need people to convince us that we are not as bad as we think we are

You see, it is very important to understand that it is our self image that will either power or prevent our success in life – It’s also very important to understand you can never outperform your self-image.

Feel free to leave your comments below!

To your success!
Lee M. Jenkins

Winning The Battle In Your Head

Motivation is a funny, complex thing. The thing that motivates one person is always different from that of another even though they are working for the same thing. And while people can motivate other people, they can only do so to a certain degree. At the end of the day, you still have to work out a way to get yourself moving. But when everything looks bleak and all you want to do is to surrender, from where do you muster the will to go on?

Begin with winning the battle in your mind.

The battle always starts in the head. One part of your mind tells you to move, work, and strive for what you are working for. The other part tells you that it is foolish. It is always easier to listen to the latter, because it is more convenient, less taxing, and easier to do. The former forces you to act and work. All things equal, people always choose the less inconvenient, easy way out. But this isn’t always the better choice. In fact, it is never a good choice.

What separates very effective people from those who are not is their ability to always make the right choices most of the time, even if these choices are the hardest to make. They know how the game works and they try to beat it every single time. Exhausting, yes, but it is also gratifying. There is always a sense of satisfaction in defeating your worst enemy – yourself.

But how do you win the battle that goes on inside your head?

Understand your thoughts and how they affect your emotions and your will power. Negative thoughts can easily kill your sense of purpose. It comes in many forms – lack of self-confidence, general negativity, lack of belief in others, procrastination and the list goes on. Each of these has the power to convince you to throw in the towel and accept that you can't carry on. Identifying each of your negative thoughts is the first step to winning yourself back from a defeatist attitude.

It is not simple feat, though. It takes time before one can shut out the voice in the head that says 'give up, give in'. And sometimes, even when you have already succeeded in neutralizing your negative thoughts, it is still easy to give up at the first sign of a speed bump. After all, it gives you time to rest from the unending struggle to achieve whatever it is you are pursuing, even for just a moment. But don’t buy that. That short period of rest can turn to days, weeks, months, years, ultimately paralyzing you from taking action and living a full life. That's the characteristic of discouragement. It offers you immediate gratification without securing anything in return.

Try to gain positive momentum every time, instead of succumbing back into a demoralized attitude. Every time, even if that means you have to start the battle in your head all over again. 

Staying Motivated

Life has a way of interfering us while we are going after our dreams. It distracts us from pursuing things that really matter and even convinces us that nothing really matters. It can attract us to adopt a defeatist attitude – lacking on enthusiasm and interest – ultimately sapping out our sense of purpose.

But there are ways to stay motivated, no matter how you feel about everything around you. These are not easy, far from that, but are nevertheless very helpful in keeping yourself fired with motivation.

Develop the attitude of interest. Find the thing you are most passionate about. The happiest people, they say, are those people who do the things they love the most. It is not coincidental that they are the most motivated people as well. After all, passion and motivation go hand in hand. They are closely intertwined to create a person who is full of zest about everything.

Find the thing that can spark and sustain your enthusiasm. Then channel all your energies towards that thing. This sparks motivation, productivity and satisfaction.

But what do you do when you are stuck with things that you are not truly passionate about? In times like this, when passion is lacking and your zeal is at its all time low, interest will suffice. Be interested in everything you do, no matter how boring, tedious or nonsensical it may seem. Find meaning in everything. Take the time to be engrossed, to be interested. Otherwise, your life will seem and feel like a living hell.

Having said that, always find reasons to be happy about the things you do, the goals you are pursuing, the dreams you are trying to realize, and the life you are trying to live. Never lose sight of happiness and never let it slip away.

Maintain an elevated level of energy. The mere act of smiling at yourself can recharge your energy. Having no energy almost always ensure that you won't feel as motivated as you need. Always take the time to recharge yourself – sleep, eat, breathe, relax, and rest. Do whatever it takes to always keep your energy high, if not sustained.

Act like it. Translate positive emotions into actions. If you are not feeling positive about anything, try to act like it. Sometimes, despite of lacking motivation, you can still feel motivated when you deliberately act with enthusiasm.