Resolution #1: Sculpt a good healthy self-image, one of beauty

The final countdown

It’s the turn of a new year, even a new decade! Years, which as I get older, I’m finding are flying by even quicker! These days, a year seems to last only a fraction of the time it lasted in the past! As it draws to a close, I’m reflecting how it went and whether next year will be much different. This made me think about how much a good healthy self-image affects what we achieve in life.

As time ticks by, it feels like all the more reason to consider how we’re spending each and every minute. I feel like I need one of those countdowns that you seem to get more and more on some websites and in your inbox. Some special offer which if you don’t take advantage of within 1 day, 13 hours, 4 minutes and 39 seconds… and counting… you will miss out! Forever! I think I want one of those, but for life… a count-down to remind me to make the most of this once in a lifetime offer!

Suddenly I have a very cheesy rock/pop tune from the 80s running in my head! Perhaps it’ll serve as an appropriate reminder!

The difference

We would probably agree we want to make the most of our lives, that’s not the problem. However, the first in a long line of things that stop us doing this is we often don’t even know what making the most of it means!

What does it mean to you? Could you tell me in one or two sentences?

How many of us consciously take our time to examine what’s actually important to us, instead of getting distracted into superficial and trivial pursuits?

What is it that we want? What’s behind the thing that we want? What gives our lives meaning?

Every year, people make resolutions for change in the year ahead. I’m curious to know why so many of us get stuck in creating more of the same, making step changes, but somehow falling short of our potential. Perhaps, somewhere deep down the desire for change is there, but we struggle to take a hold of it and bring it out into the light.

Instead of diving deep down into our soul, our longings, our essence, we somehow manage to skim along on the surface of life, barely noticing who we deeply are! Maybe we are automatically living someone else’s life, driven by circumstances or what’s been handed to us.

I think there is value to be had not from going quicker but by first going deeper. What actually matters to you? If you don’t answer this question, you’ll probably quickly get to somewhere you didn’t want to go in the first place!

Self-focus

Next, when we know deeply what we’re about, how do we go about living from that? What’s going to make the biggest difference in helping us flourish, thrive and live deep meaningful satisfying lives?

Our instinct can be to look to changing the things about our lives that aren’t going quite as we’d like.

But what if the instead of paying so much attention out there, to the externals of our lives, we looked a little closer to home? To ourselves perhaps?

After all, we’re the chief driver of the train of our lives. So whatever is happening is down to how we’re viewing the scenery and the way we’re responding. Maybe we need to put more focus on bringing the best out of ourselves since we’re the ones that have the biggest impact in our experience.

Seeing through ourselves

We’ve had glimpses of our brilliance, but often we live the majority of the time a mere shadow of our greatness. What would make the difference in helping our light shine?

I think the key lies in who we believe ourselves to be. Over time, I know from experience, the image I created of myself wasn’t necessarily true. It changed in different ways, often radically to the point that I’ve come to the conclusion that what I believe about myself isn’t reliable. That it’s made up and is not the whole truth.

Let the masterpiece emerge

Go below the surface. Have a look! Who are you?

As you dive down, can you see the parts of you that make you most you! Can you put a finger on the essence of you?

When do you most feel yourself?
When are you most alive?
What are the qualities you really love about yourself?

We could see ourselves with the eyes of love for a change.

Sculpt a good healthy self-image

Take a look. Look from many angles. Try to make out the beauty that is there… like a sculptor discerning the work of art already there in the rough unworked stone.

With the right attitude, we can work to draw out what’s lying within us… ourselves and our lives are the art piece itself.

The sculptor has skills to work with stone, the raw material. Most of us probably need to develop the skills to work with the raw material of ourselves to reveal our magnificent being.

Could it be that you don’t even have to create a masterpiece… perhaps it’s already there in you. You just have to become adept at helping it come through. Focus on the art piece that you are… and pretty soon you’ll begin to see what’s been obscuring the view. You can let it drop away.

How do you behold yourself? Do you have a good healthy self-image?

Do you see the best of you, your strengths, your qualities, your essence, as someone intrinsically good? Recognise the treasure that is already there. Rough stone within which there is beauty. Chipping away… polishing…

It’s more a question of seeing the beauty that’s already there and taking away the things that stop you shining.