Trading Coal For Diamonds

"If you want to take control of your life, it's important that you gain a basic understanding of who you are. Our self-image, which is the picture of ourselves that we hold in our minds, becomes the key to our lives. All our actions, feelings and behavior, and even our abilities, are consistent with this formed picture. We literally act out the kind of person that we think that we are. What we need to be aware of is that as long as we hold onto that picture, no amount of willpower, effort, determination or commitment will cause us to be any other way, because we're always going to act the way we see ourselves. To be any other way, we must first look at how we form our self-image.
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"In a very important way, you've created yourself whether you realize it or not. All the character traits, mannerisms, ways of talking, ways of walking, facial expressions, gestures and even ways of thinking and believing, you have borrowed, imitated or made your own. It may have been from a parent or other family members, a favorite teacher, a friend, or a character in a book or a movie.
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"It's not a disaster to discover that you're not the person that you thought that you were. On the contrary, it's the beginning of the end of disaster.
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"Remember — everything you learn about yourself is good news. No matter how difficult or surprising it may be, it's always good news. Keep this in mind, especially in times when a new truth clashes with a belief that you know you must abandon but are reluctant to do so. A wise person is willing to give up a piece of coal in exchange for a diamond. Have the courage to do this and self-change begins.
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"The problem is that whatever self-image we have accepted puts a ceiling on the use of our potential. That ceiling has no relationship to our ability to use our potential. But we can only act or perform like the person we see ourselves to be. We must deliberately take control of our self-talk, or it will control us. ... Until we change the picture we have of ourselves, we will automatically continue to reenact the same performance. Our self-image regulates the use of our potential.
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"The real key here is in not trying to be different from your picture. Modify the picture first. Real growth and change begins from the inside out. We must first change the picture in our mind. As we do this, our comfort zone will expand automatically. This becomes our new truth. We then act in accordance with that new truth or belief.
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"We will either stay where we are or, through our own deliberate intent, convince ourselves that it’s in our best interest to change. If we choose to change, we must visualize ourselves into that new belief. Constructive self-talk and imagery takes the ceiling off the use of our preconceived abilities and allows us to grow in a controlled manner without stress, tension and negative feedback.
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"Because we move toward what we picture, it is important to control what we are picturing. The goal must be clearly and specifically defined. What are we after? What does it look like? If you cannot describe it, you cannot get it.
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"Once I recognize I am a self-made person both in success and failure and that this success or failure is mine to control, I will stop saying "I have to," and instead say "I choose to." I can be as my image tells me I can and move constructively toward that end result with an exciting, magnetic energy and drive."

Robert Anthony
Beyond Positive Thinking

(Underlines are my emphasis)


Or, as Robin Sharma says in his book The Greatness Guide, "The size of your life is a reflection of the size of your thinking!"





DHS 40/100