How To Show Up For Yourself

How To Show Up For Yourself

by Jennifer Cardona

Ladies, raise your hand if you can feel me on this. So much of our days get wrapped up in trying to show people how we look from the outside.

We spend so much time crafting our outside personas that we hardly get a chance to focus on our inner feelings.

We try to project confidence about being:

●      The perfect mom

●      The perfect spouse

●      The woman who has it all together

Deep down, we know this is a fantasy. You can’t be perfect at everything. So we beat ourselves up for shortcomings.

It’s exhausting! Am I right?

That’s why I created this post. So many times, we can feel like we’re all alone in this struggle, but we’re not. So many women understand this feeling.

It’s about time we stand up and address the elephant in the room. How do you show up for yourself during those times it’s easy to beat yourself up?

Today’s post is all about your self-image and how you can change it to become free. Let’s get it!

What Is Self-Image?

In the simplest definition, your self-image is the mental picture you have of yourself. It’s what you think of when you think about yourself.

On our good days, we may shower our inner selves with praise. But why do we do that? Is it because we’re seeking validation? Or worse, are we proud we pulled it off?

Your self-image drives to the inner core of those questions. 

When we strip everything away, our self-image is our belief in what we can achieve. Maxwell Maltz once said, we can never outperform our own self-image.

He was right, by the way.

Think about a time when you felt unqualified yet had success. It doesn’t happen! That’s because the thoughts we carry about our ability to do certain things set our level of success.

Think of it like a thermometer. When things are tough, and we need to hustle, what do we do? We put our heads down, and we work harder to get things done.

When everything is great, and we have no money worries, we have a different tone “Hey, we’re good. We can coast.” 

That feeling is your self-image. It sets a glass ceiling for what you can achieve. I don’t know about you, but I’m all about breaking glass ceilings. You with me?

The Battle of the Inner Villain

In Dean Graziosi’s book Millionaire Success Habits, he talks about two types of self-image. You have the inner villain and the inner hero. You get to choose!

The inner villain is all about the story we tell ourselves. Graziosi explains that most times, your inner villain’s monologue doesn’t even come from you.

Instead, it comes from:

●      Society

●      School

●      Your upbringing

●      Your parents

●      Your friends & coworkers

●      And even more

You may say you can’t start a business because you never completed college. Meanwhile, there’s plenty of entrepreneurs that may not have finished high school.

 Your inner villain may say you can’t change your circumstance because you were born poor. The rich get richer. Meanwhile, there are self-made millionaires created every day.

 The inner villain explains all the reasons why you can’t do something. Meanwhile, your inner hero explains all the reasons why you can!

Embracing Your Inner Hero

When you embrace your inner hero, you speak to the heart of your self-image. You stand up to the villain and defeat it once and for all.

Here’s how you could create a new history from the examples above:

Growing up, I had a lot on my plate and was unable to attend college. Instead, I went into the world of work and grew from the experience. I know how to (put work you’ve done here).

While I grew up poor, I learned valuable life lessons that help me to this day. I learned resilience. I know how to pivot during times of hardship. I have an emotional strength that makes me unique. That gives strength to achieve my dreams.

30-Day Challenge

Chances are you have a story that limits your potential. I encourage you to write down two stories. The first story should be familiar. It’s the one you tell yourself every day. The second should flip the script.

It should take the examples from the first story and stand them on their head. Commit to reading your new story first thing in the morning and right before bed for 30 days.

You’ll see a new self-image emerge. Will you take up the 30-day challenge?

Looking for more ways to change your self-image? Sign up for coaching I would love to work with you!

I am a life coach for women and I help them build their confidence and achieve their goals. Keep reading for more insights!