Develop a Healthy Self-Concept

Everything begins and ends with you!

Your self-concept is how you view yourself. How you view yourself determines how you will experience life.

If you see yourself in a positive and healthy light, your life experiences will be positive and healthy.

Of course, this doesn't mean that your life will be free of challenges and adversity; it just means that you will have a healthier approach to dealing with them.

If your opinion of yourself is shaky and fragile, you will find life's challenges overwhelming and, at times, insurmountable.

What is your self-concept?

It is the understanding and knowledge you have of your own existence and how you see yourself in relation to others and your surroundings.

In order to possess a positive or healthy self-concept, you must:

• Know yourself

• Love yourself

• Be True to yourself

Today, we live in an increasingly complex and multifaceted world. In order to meet the challenges we now face, it is more important than ever to build a solid personal foundation - a foundation consisting of self-knowledge, self-love, and self-confidence.

To be sure, a healthy self-concept is more than having high self-esteem. While high self-esteem is important, the term itself can be misleading since self-esteem is largely based on your 'feelings' of self-worth and encompasses your 'beliefs' about being valuable and capable. It consists of your self-image, either positive or negative, at an emotional level.

When based on emotion, self-esteem can be wavering and vulnerable to threats. Likewise, if it's obtained mostly from external factors, such as an attractive physical appearance or being popular, you can feel on top of the world one day and find yourself disillusioned or disappointed the next.

Therefore, a healthy self-concept must derive from within. Instead of being dependent upon validation from external sources or the wavering opinions of others, self-esteem must result from self-reflection, self-analysis, and self-acceptance.

What constitutes a healthy self-concept?

• The ability to know yourself and assess your strengths, weaknesses, talents, and potential

• The ability to be honest with yourself and be true to who you are and what you value

• The ability to take responsibility for your choices and actions

• The ability to love and accept yourself as you are, knowing that you can improve and develop any aspects of yourself you choose

Developing a healthy self-concept takes deliberate planning and concentrated effort. It takes acknowledging your intrinsic value as a human being and then working to acquire the skills needed to confront the many challenges and adversities we encounter in life.

Nothing can rattle you or take you off your stride when you possess a healthy self-concept. You are confident, poised, and assured because you know you are equipped to handle whatever comes your way.