Definition Of Self Concept
Would it surprise you to know that a definition of self
concept - how you see yourself, will determine the results
and outcomes you derive from your goals?
In the area of personal development, there is often a lot
being said about the need to remain positive or to have a
positive mental attitude (PMA).
However, what is less talked
about is the importance of your self concept, self-esteem and how these key aspects directly influence your ability to maintain a positive mental attitude.
Without doubt, it is easy for anyone to remain positive and
upbeat when things are going well. When they are not, or you
feel you have little to no control over undesirable life events,
it is a different story all together.
I'm sure you can relate to the well-meaning friend or relative
who tell you to 'look on the bright side of things' or, that
you should 'try to be more positive'. It's alright for them - they're not the ones feeling the reality you're experiencing.
Until they do, they cannot possibly give you advice on how or
what you should be feeling. Only you can do that! Does
that sound about right?
It makes sense therefore that you learn how to do exactly
that. Your definition of self concept - how you see
yourself, directly correlate with your ability to maintain a
positive frame of mind.
It is this positive state that will help
you to adequately manage and overcome any life storms you
experience. But first, you must learn how to nurture this
Nurturing a healthy sense of self calls for a critical evaluation
of the value you place on yourself. That is:
Your level of self-esteem
The amount of trust you have in yourself
Having trust in yourself refers to the degree of
confidence you have in your ability to get things done.
Combined, these two key aspects will dictate how you effectively
conduct yourself in difficult situations; and, your level of
competency in managing challenging life situations.
Learning how to nurture your healthy sense of self or a
healthy self concept is
therefore a broad, two-fold process that will in turn equip you
with the skills and resources you'll need to deal with whatever
life throws at you.
The following show you two ways of achieving this! The first
relate to building low self-esteem and provide you with resources,
self-esteem activities and exercises you can use to
self esteem quotient.
The second will focus your attention on how you perceive
yourself, helping you to arrive at a clear definition of self
concept that is personal or unique to you.
definition of self concept -
How to nurture your Healthy Sense Of Self
To sustain a positive mental attitude, your
self esteem must be high. If your self esteem is low,
you will need to work on it. You'll find this building low self esteem exercise and
self-esteem activity, useful.
definition of self concept -
getting to grips with how you see yourself
The following exercise will help you to clearly identify your definition of self concept - how you perceive yourself, as well
as how you perceive other people see you.
Using your journal, list your responses to the following. Use four positive words
to describe yourself for each of questions below:
How you see yourself as a friend?
How you see yourself as a work colleague or neighbour?
How do you see yourself as a partner, mother or wife etc.,
Now that you have a definition of self concept in relation to your other significant networks, the next step is to assess how and why you have come to hold that world view.
This is important because, the words you use to describe how you see yourself are
most probably based on the feedback you have been receiving and/or just an image
of how you would like to be perceived. Now answer the following
What has helped to shape this definition of self concept
that you presently hold?
How did you arrive at this perception of yourself?
To what extent has feedback from these significant
networks helped to shape your perceptions?
To what extent are your perceptions based on an image of how
you would like others to perceive you?
Now that you have finished recording your perceptions, you now
need to turn your attention to how you believe your other
significant networks perceive you.
List four positive words that a good friend would use to
(For instance, might they see you as being - caring, loyal,
List four positive words that a work colleague might use
to describe you
(Your work colleague might say - you're dependable, helpful,
efficient for example)
What four positive words might your partner use
(Might s/he say that you're loving, committed)
How about family
(Do they see you as being responsible, dependable, for
Take a close look at both your own description of yourself against
how you perceive other people see you. How does your self-
description or definition of self concept compare to those of your
other significant network of family, friends, work colleagues etc.,?
Are you less forthcoming with positive words used to describe yourself?
Are other people's view of you very much different to
your own? If so, how is this so?
Could you now ask each of them
(only the the people you trust and who love you) in turn for their
responses to the above questions?
Are you really ready to hear how
they perceive you and perhaps why they perceive you in the ways they do?
What can you learn from their responses or feedback? Could you now
journal your many insights into the definition of
self concept you hold and what you can now do to build positively
on your healthy self concept
Do you want to change? More importantly, are you ready to change
your life/how you see yourself - for the better?
As you can clearly see, a definition of self-concept involve you understanding and engaging in two key processes - i.e. the value you place on yourself (self-esteem) and the level of confidence you have in your ability to take
positive action to change - (self-confidence). You have all the
tools you need at hand to now nurture these important aspects of yourself. Go, make a start!
"The people and circumstances
around me do not MAKE me what I am, they REVEAL who I am"
. (Dr Laura Schlessinger)
The information on this site is purely of educational value
and is not intended to replace your seeking medical advice. You
must consult your doctor over all your health concerns.
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