BUILDING SELF ESTEEM - CARICATURE YOUR LIFE

PART 6 - LIVING YOUR CARICATURE

If you have low self esteem then I want to give you some really practical ways to improve it.

Now you have the caricature of your working and/or personal life you have to start living in it.

It is one thing to know who we are and what we can achieve in life. But the thing that separates those who really live out their thrilling destiny and those who keep it a dream is ACTION. All the belief and PMA in the world won’t help unless you behave like the person you now see.

Here is a list of tried and tested ways to living life as your caricature.

1. Low self esteem is normally about perception, not reality. It is not an issue of what you are – it is an issue about what you perceive yourself to be. Consistently reaffirm a correct perspective. Ask friends to correct you if they spot you living from your old self.

2. Take a look at your belief systems. Do they work? Do they give you value, purpose and strength? If not change them

3. Believe to the point of behavior. You are already that person – you now need to accentuate those distinctive features.

4. Work from a foundation of your gifting and passion not responsibility and reward. When you are living and working in an area of gifting you will feel positive and rewarded.

5. If you are not or cannot get passionate about your role or industry then take action to change it.

6. Model yourself on people who are successful in the way you want to be. Use the same words, tone and physiology they do.

7. Visualize your caricature in the moment – what would they do now?

8. However false it feels (I promise it won’t look it to others – they already see you as your caricature) persist. It will become more natural as each day passes.

9. Learn to take a compliment. If someone gives you positive feedback – then accept it. Simply say “Thank you. I really appreciate you letting me know”.

10. Practice paying compliments. It is amazing that what you give comes back to you. Life has a habit of giving to the givers and taking from the takers.

11. Work in your areas of strength. Actively volunteer to work on projects which you know you are able to contribute to.

12. Reassess your goals. Are they realistic? Break them down into smaller, almost daily achievable steps.

13. Are you living in integrity (wholeness) – do your actions match your values. If not reassess your actions or values.

14. Evaluate. When you do something list all the things that went well. Remind yourself of the ‘wins’ you have experienced.

15. Be careful what you watch on TV, the music you listen to and what you read. If you go to bed after watching a depressing movie about failure then you will almost certainly wake up feeling low and expecting to fail.

16. Is your low self-esteem rooted in another person? If it’s a manager, work colleague or associate? Then consider what you can do. Is it time to look for somewhere else to work that will help you be confident in who you are?

17. Don’t assume that other people don’t feel the way you do. Low self-esteem is very common (especially among the apparently ‘successful’).

18. Listen to your ‘self-talk’. Is it negative or positive?

19. Build meaningful and reciprocated relationships. Often low self esteem is compounded by a lack of understanding relationships.

20. Stop using words like ‘can’t, never, impossible’.

I really hope you have benefited from our journey. Soon you will be living the life and engaging in work in a way that really represents the very best of who you are.

Remember that that is what this is…a journey. You will have great days and not so great days. One of the secrets of success in anything is forming positive habits of belief and behavior.

Habits are formed by rituals. A ritual is something you have to discipline yourself to do consistently. After a while your rituals will turn into habits that you just can’t help doing and being.

Good luck with your habit of living as your caricature. Enjoy!!

(c) Copyright 2005. Steve Holloway. All Rights reserved