This week we’ve been talking about what holds us back. We’ve talked about the number one belief that holds us back, and the fear that holds us back. You can read about these here and here. Finally, we talk about the last major thing that holds us back.
The truth is that most of the time it’s not something “out there” that holds us back. Rather, it’s something inside of us that holds us back. We limit ourselves far more than being limited by our circumstances. This last thing that holds us back is our self image.
How we view ourself has a big influence on what we are willing to do and try. For example, perhaps we want to become a mentor and pour into the lives of others. But if we can’t see ourselves having the leadership and confidence of a mentor, we will often sabotage our efforts to move into this position.
We often have a poorer self image than we really are. Frequently we see ourselves as still as a kid inside. We have an adult body, but inside we feel like we’re still eight – a kid who doesn’t have authority, strength, or fortitude. But this can change.
Our self image falls into three main categories:
Personal View
This one has to do with seeing ourself involved in a certain type of activity. For example, a person who just can’t see herself as a person who sells door to door is going to have a hard time succeeding in a job that requires this.
Strength of Character
This one has to do with our view of our personal strength. Do we see ourself as being able to confront a belligerent employee, for example. If our self image is that we are weak and timid, it will be very difficult to do well in situations where we need to be confident and strong.
Self Worth
This one has to do with how we see our own value. Money issues often get wrapped up in this. So for example, someone who has a low self-worth, will have a hard time accepting higher paying jobs, or will have problems charging too little for their services.
None of these categories of self image is an unchangeable part of our personality. We are not stuck. Though, changing these will likely take work.
If we want to make a big impact in the world, we need to remove barriers that will get in the way of taking steps forward. Removing these barriers is mostly an inside job, and finding good mentors, coaches, counselors, and accountability partners is important for our success.
