Becoming a Better You

If happiness comes from within, then why does it seem so difficult for so many people to find contentment with themselves? Often times it is because they have been conditioned over time to believe in the negative image they have of themselves. Poor self esteem and personal insecurities haunt many people. Self concept or self identity comes from persistent assessment of ones self, however, too many times this assessment is based on the false perceptions and distorted images. Over time, the distorted image becomes reality.

At other times discontentment can be a result of fear of failure or even fear of success. People tend to resist change for fear of the unknown, even if they are unhappy in their current condition. Often times a person will stay in a dead-end job or relationship simply because it is familiar rather than venture into the unknown. While the concept may seem ridiculous when you read it on paper, it is the mentality that many humans share. However, those who hold on to this thought rarely find happiness. Their own thought process becomes crippling and limits their potential in life.

These self-doubts, self-esteem issues and fears of failure may be the simple three road blocks between your happiness and you. Look closely at your thoughts and beliefs, find out what you need to do to change the path of your life and be honest with yourself about the true causes of your unhappiness. A healthy self image may just be born out of this knowledge.

Self improvement can encompass your physical, emotional, and mental being. What area or areas do you want to improve and why do you want to improve those areas? The latter may seem like a silly question but it is important. For example, if you want to lose weight because you want to look like your favorite movie star, then you may find trouble reaching your goal as it may not be realistic and it may not provide enough motivation. However, if you want to lose a few pounds to reach a healthy weight because your doctor says you are at risk for heart disease; then that, coupled with the smile of your precious child whom would be lost without you, may be enough motivation to loose the pounds and run a marathon when you reach your goal weight!

Physical self improvement is usually easy to identify but difficult to achieve. While some self-improvement requires you to undergo a physical transformation (like loosing or gaining weight), other require you to simply accept the body you have-and often that is the more difficult task. When we condition ourselves to believe in a set standard of beauty for which we ourselves do not fit, it makes self-acceptance a trying task. However, it is a necessary task in order to achieve happiness.

Emotionally, many of us have been scarred at some point and this in turn leads to a need for self-improvement. Psychologist and Psychiatrist make a living off of emotionally distraught people. Often times, emotional distress leads to our negative physical self-image as well. Recognizing the source of ones emotional turmoil is the key to improving ones self image. Addressing emotional barriers is a sensitive subject yet it is imperative in order to improve upon ones character.

The changes needed in our mental state are often those that run concurrently with the emotional changes. Mentally we judge ourselves based on expectations only we understand. If we never achieve those goals we create a negative self image that will wreak havoc on our chances of happiness. Removing all boundaries and definitions of success will greatly improve our chances of happiness.

Life without balance and self-esteem will be life without happiness. The happiness we want and desire is rooted in our need to be better that we are right now and better than everyone else around us. Without a doubt, once we refocus our lives on the things that matter the most, our bodies, our hearts and our minds, the rest will fall into place an happiness will be achieved.

The author, Elliott Roberts, writes for Becomng, a Personal Development blog, covering topics ranging from How To Become Wealthy to Productivity, plus others. Read Becomng, and evolve your life!

Article Source: http://www.c3careerarticles.com

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