A poor self-image is becoming increasingly common in the modern world. One of my mentors once said “You can never ‘out-succeed’ your self image”. What he meant was, it will be extremely difficult for you to reach your goals and live your dream life if you have a negative self-image. To use my own life as an example; I used to see myself as an ‘Average Joe’ with less than satisfactory health, a mediocre physique and a middle of the road job. The only way that I was ever going to do something meaningful and create success in my life was to enhance my self-image.

After developing a positive self-image, I was able to achieve things that would have been previously impossible like running a half marathon, curing myself of asthma, writing a book and becoming an award winning speaker. I don’t tell you those things to brag. I tell you those things to open your mind to the potential improvements that can be made when you improve your self image. Below are the 5 things that I believe, got me to a point where I love the person that I see in the mirror.

1-Let it Go

Promise yourself to take whatever lessons you can from the mistakes that you have made and then let them go. Dwelling on them only gets you deeper into negative thought processes that will damage your self image. The making of mistakes highlights the fact you are simply a person that attempts things, you are human. It is important to forgive yourself, let mistakes go and realise that you are a good person doing your best.

2-Ditch the Comparisons

I used to compare myself to other people all the time. We all have at some time or another. The challenge is, it is very difficult to build a feeling of love for the person that you see in the mirror if you are always trying to make that person be like someone else. It is a fact of the human population, that everyone has their good and their not so good attributes so comparing yourself to other people doesn’t allow you to make progress. Focus on your own great qualities and begin to improve upon the things that you are not so good at. The only person that you need to compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday.

3-Feel Great about the Way you look

I truly believe that happiness is an inside job. However, why not give your appearance a little boost by getting your favourite haircut? You could also upgrade your wardrobe to reflect the strong, happy, healthy, motivated and successful self-image that you now have. In my view this part of the process completes the package. Think how wonderful it will be when you look in the mirror and you love the type of person that you’re looking at and you love the fact that your appearance is a reflection of that.

4 – Give yourself Credit

So many people are dwelling on the things that go wrong and the mistakes that they make, they forget to reward themselves when they do something well. When you achieve a goal it is vital that you give yourself credit. You can do this in several ways: go to your favourite restaurant, treat yourself to an item from your favourite store or book a spa day. The important thing is that you actually do something to condition your brain to expect rewards when you do things well.

5 – Build a ‘Dream Team’

Spend time with, talk with and share ideas with those people in your life who love you for you and will support you in any endeavour. Creating this ‘Dream Team’ environment will have a massive effect on your self-image. As your mind feels the love from everyone else, it will be easier to love yourself. Your dream team will also provide with the inspiration needed to get out of your comfort zone and achieve your goals.

Many people who have achieved great things and created wonderful lives have first had to learn to love the person that they see in the mirror. Following the above steps and adding in your own positive ideas is a great way to do this and once you have a rock solid, empowering self-image, happiness and achievement becomes inevitable.

Jermaine Harris is a young Online Life Coach, Author, Peak Performance Strategist and Speaker. He is passionate about human potential, personal development and empowering others to change their lives in the same way he did.  Jermaine has a vision of empowering millions of people with his unique brand of forward thinking, ‘gung ho’ approach to changing lives. Get to know Jermaine better at: http://jermaine-harris.com/start

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