New Perspectives

Self-development is a topic often talked about during the timeline of healing. Though a plethora of opinions and advice on the latter exists, let’s begin with where all the rewiring occurs- the thought process.

How we perceive ourselves differs from how we truly are and how we are perceived by others. For many, their self-perception is rather negative resulting in various doubts, insecurities, and at times unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Everyone comes across people and quotes telling them to be positive and joyful, but someone with a negative self-image often wonders how one should stay jovial when they find nothing to keep their gusto up. During these times, people would often ask you to pursue a hobby, which isn’t bad for a short-term improvement or to simply get your mind off of the problem but you must have often wondered how you could solve this concern when it starts recurring quite often?

The answer is simple- changing your belief. Our brain works based on a simple hierarchy-belief followed by behavior leading to thoughts generating emotions and the ultimate product being actions. Therefore, to change your actions you need to change your belief.

For example, if you wish to put a stop to negative self-talk, you need to believe in positive self-talk and trust that negative self-talk is holding you back than pushing you forward. These beliefs need to be concrete and must not be affected by other people’s opinions. Easier said than done, I know, but it’s an extremely crucial step.

Thus, self-development, which sounds undemanding can pose as a complete re-construction of yourself from the absolute base. If you aspire to have a positive introspection, the belief that you are ALL those positive attributes is indispensable. To reach here, the process is often exhausting since you put yourself through cycles of constant self-doubt and self-evaluation. You will often find yourself falling back to past patterns, re-visiting past experiences only to end up feeling that the progress made was of no good. At times like these, we must take a back seat and remind ourselves that the way we turn out is completely dependent on our actions and our thought process. It’s crucial to remember that the way we want to shape ourselves and our future is in our hands. Taking accountability for ourselves is vital.

Always remember, the struggle or hardships you face today gives birth to the strength you need for tomorrow.