How to be a champion at Whatever you do, Part 2: How to change your self image

Welcome to Part two of our step-by-step guide in helping you conquer whatever it is you strive to do!

Becoming a champion at something worthwhile isn’t easy, otherwise everyone would be doing it! So here we are with post number 2, to give you another push in a positive direction towards achieving those dreams of yours!

At League Collective, we aim to inspire you to push forward with a sense of support behind you, knowing that what you’re doing is right instead of feeling motivated one day and unsure the next. It is, of course, human to feel like this; however, what we aim to give you in this blog is a brief, concise and ordered library of thought to look back on whenever you’re feeling a little subdued, instead of scrolling through Instagram looking at other people’s toned abs, or their three thousand plus ‘likes’ on an outlandishly filtered cereal bowl…

So, let us begin topic number two with #nofilter and talk about ‘self image’.

Self image is so important, and something that is hugely ignored, misunderstood and hardly thought of other than our outward appearance.

• Our self image is not what other people think about us or what we want them to think. That is their opinion and their character judgment based on their own self image and the way their brains have developed to create an interpretation of us.
• Our thoughts about our self, however, make up our own self image. Therefore, our self image is based upon a belief system created by ourselves.

This being said, if things are not going the way we had hoped, it may be time to take responsibility for our self image and self talk.

Let’s back this up with some very basic science:

But first, before we move on, let us understand that thoughts and feelings are real things that are able to shape our outward reality… How?

Thoughts create emotions that induce physical feelings in the body, meaning that thoughts have a huge physical impact on the way our lives play out. Therefore, thoughts are real things that have the power to shape our reality… Hold this thought in your head whilst we get back to the science:

Our entire belief system of ourselves is based on what we interpreted whilst growing up: from the ages 0-6 our brain is still developing and collecting ‘data’ from every situation we are in. This ‘data’ then interprets the way we react to everything throughout the rest of our life and makes up our mental and emotional instincts that are not-so-instinctual – but instead learned from the environment we grew up in. This ‘data’ then develops to create habits that shape our character and personality… Still following?

When you look back at your childhood in this way, it can sometimes become very easy to start pointing fingers and blaming people for as to why you have ended up the way you are today – plus all the things you don’t like about yourself.

Understand that NOBODY ever had the right to tell you that you ‘couldn’t do it’, or put that thought process in your mind.

This being said, as much as your thoughts about yourself are your own self image, and we didn’t really have a choice about our childhood at such a young age, you are still responsible for being exactly where you are today. Whether you like where you are or not! You did all of this thinking to get yourself here. Why? Because no one is controlling your thoughts except you! Annnd… thoughts are real things, remember!

Someone may have told you that you ‘couldn’t do it’, but no one ever told you to think the way you think. You just learnt it from interpreting the environment you grew up in the best way you could.

So instead of blaming and feeling anger towards people in your past or current life, understand that: whether their love and care reached you or not, they were doing the best they could at that time in the eyes of their own self image (shaped by their own habitual thinking from childhood).

So, if what we are envisioning isn’t showing up in our lives, how might we change our thought process around our self image?

First would be to forgive those who you felt were doing a crap job of your childhood, IF there was anyone.

Secondly, if you understand everything we’ve been saying (that everyone in your life you feel you need to forgive was actually doing the best they could in the eyes of their own self image), then understand that you are the only one to forgive for ending up exactly the way you are today. Take responsibility for your own self talk and actions… No hard feelings, bro!

Now, it’s time to shape our new and improved self image!

We are creatures of habit, and habitual thoughts shape who we are and the way we view the world. Ever tried to break a habit and have found yourself doing it even more?

• When you focus on the habit, whether it be good or bad, it becomes the main component circling your brain.
• The more you focus on something, the more you are fuelling mind power towards it, and the bigger it becomes. (Remember, thoughts and feelings become physical things if you let them!)

So if our brains are already fully developed, how do we change the belief system we already have in place if we don’t like it or find it self defeating?

As humans, it is almost a survival mechanism to learn habits. For instance, we learn as babies that if we cry, we get food and attention, so we keep doing it until we realise tantrums aren’t accepted anymore. We drop the habit, and find a new method of acting in a way that helps us better get to where or what it is we desire… Otherwise we’d still be kicking and screaming on the floor when we’ve had it with the self-checkout-machine, and pelting food across posh restaurants, shrieking hysterically when we hit a waiter’s face, or shamelessly wiping food down our own smart dress in a state of disapproval when we miss… anyway, we think you get the point.

This takes us back to that element of surrender;

• Because we are habitual creatures, it means we can pick up new habits at any point throughout our life. However, if our brains are already full of ‘data’, but we don’t like the way our ‘data’ is reacting with our outside world… instead of focusing on what we don’t want and trying to get rid of it – accept it as OK (Surrender!), and then shift the focus.

In other words: if we are constantly following a pattern that we know and are comfortable with but the results we see are not pleasing us, it is because we are staying in our comfort zone. When we are within the perimeters that our current self image deems fit for our self worth, we cannot move to somewhere new.

If we see ourselves being somewhere other than where we are right now, we need to change the boundaries of our belief system already place. It is time to break out of the comfort zone….

The steps to make it all happen

• When it comes to breaking a habit mentally, physically or changing your self image, you need to focus on new things.
• When you do this, you can now become successful in new things that you’re trying out, as you add new ‘data’ to your brain.
• If you repeat the same mental or physical patterns with the same daily routine and habits that you’ve always had, you have no room or opportunity for change… unless the thing you are focusing on changes. So push the boat out – do something you haven’t done before!
• When you do this, you have the chance to create new beliefs, change your self talk, and in turn, your self image.
• When you change your internal dialogue, your external energy changes as you become more confident and driven to achieve those desires with the self belief that ‘you can do it’.

And seeing as we’re talking about self image, let’s start with ourselves!

How often do you look in the mirror and compliment how beautiful you are, or look at yourself and think, ‘wow, I look great today!’?

We always have something to pick at, and the more we focus on it, the bigger the issue becomes, until we end up disliking our nose, or face, or weight or height.

Surrender. Start with being OK with where you are at now and your self image, and then change the focus.

Next week we will be helping you change the focus, and STAY focused… Stay tuned for the next post!

Our time is now.

We hope you found this useful! Please drop any queries or questions or feedback you have about being an epic ninja at anything you put your mind to, and we will be sure to get back to you with superhero speed… Alternatively, drop us a personal email at: [email protected] or Join our mailing list to receive the next step as soon as it is posted!