First of all, I have to say, that our self-image or personal perception plays a big role in influencing our lives. The way you view yourself, can either move you forward in life, or it can immobilize you completely – it’s that powerful!

You will either feel empowered or dis-empowered based solely on how you view yourself. The self-image is a major player when it comes to success in life. Today, I want to share with you information you may not have ever been aware of about yourself, and how a persons self image is developed.

So, lets take a trip back in time. Lets go right back to when we were very young children. Those were the days when we were inexperienced in life. We had no experience of the wider world and its functions. We had little experience in dealing with life’s situations. So we were really at the mercy of others!

We had authority figures who molded and shaped our little world. People like our parents, teachers, relatives etc. These all played key roles in our early development. And because these individuals were “older and wiser” than ourselves, we believed everything they told us. And why would’nt we? We did’nt have any knowledge or experience at the time, with which to compare or validate what we were being told – especially about ourselves!

And that really is the crux of todays topic – the things we were told about ourselves by others!

There is a proverb in the Bible which says: “The inexperienced one, puts faith in every word.” So there we have authority figures saying things to young children, which at the time could have been offensive, derogatory, sarcastic etc, and their young minds soaked up what they were told like a sponge! They accepted what they were told, because they believed that whatever they were told, must be right, because it came from someone who had more knowledge and experience than themselves.

So as young children, we were all at a disadvantage to begin with. We accepted as gospel anything we were told – and as I said, we especially accepted what we were told about ourselves.

For example: how many times must a child have heard the word “no”, more than “yes”? How many times must a child have been told they were “stupid” or “dumb”? What about as they were growing up, they had an idea to do something, and then put down with the standard: “You can’t do that!”.

If you were to survey people about their childhood experiences, in most cases, they were probably the most negative and traumatic of times; and the most frustrating of times, simply because we did not have the skills and experience to respond and deal with the situations effectively.

Some people reading this article, may have had a better childhood than others. But the information presented here, can help you to be aware of how others have been affected by their childhood experiences, can help you guard against negative input in your own offspring if you have children; and can help everyone understand how the self-image is developed. It will also make you aware, if you have a poor self-image, why the affects of the past, carry over into adulthood, and therefore influence your level of success in life.

How then, is the self-image developed?

As we mentioned earlier, the self-image is developed over time, from our earliest of experiences in life. It is created through the interactions we had with our parents, relatives, teachers etc. It has it’s foundation initially, based on what other people told us about ourselves, and the experiences we had.

To try and illustrate this, I want you to think of a time from your past. Did you have any experiences that caused fear, rejection, or any other experience that affects you today?

An example from my own life, might help you to better understand the point.

Many years ago, I went to the swimming baths with my Father. For a moment, he took is focus away from me, and I went under the water. That experience as stayed with me all my life, I hate being near water. To this day, I cannot swim – because of that event.

Now in peoples lives, there are numerous experiences that they’ve had, that create similar results for them.

You might be wondering, why do those incidents have such a powerful impact upon us?

If you did recall something from your past, as I mentioned, you may have noticed that you experienced the same emotions or feelings, as you re-lived the event in your mind. That’s because every memory and experience you have, is stored within your nervous system, and subconscious mind. And its the subconscious mind that is the Master when it comes to the self-image.

When you have read this entire article, I want you to go back to the exercise of recalling some events and experiences that you had in your life, and just notice how you feel when you recall them. You will have the same or similar feelings associated with the past event. I want you to have this experience, so that you can connect with what I am saying. I want you to prove to yourself that what I am saying is true and sound.

Now, lets get to why it is, that we have those feelings, and why they are so strong and influence us so deeply, when the event exists in the past.

It all goes back to our childhood again. The answer resides in the subconscious mind as I said, and specifically the brain development.

As we develop in childhood, so do our brain waves. There is a structure to them. At a very early age, our brain waves are at the Delta range of brain wave frequency. This is where deep sleep is – and that’s why babies spend most of their time sleeping. After the Delta range, there is Theta, then Alpha, and finally Beta. That’s the range we operate in during our waking hours.

Back in the early 1940s, there was much research done on brain activity and development. It was discovered, that the Alpha range, was the brain frequency that allowed an Hypnotist, for example, to reach the subconscious mind. This is the range in brain activity, where the mind is most open to suggestion!

It is knowing this specific information, that helps us to understand why past experiences and events, still have a powerful hold over people, even though the initial event was many years in the persons past. It is of particular interest too, that researchers have discovered that our most influential years, were between the ages of 7 – 14. Those were the times when we were most susceptible to the influence, and input from other people around us.

Does this mean, that our self-image is rigid, stuck or fixed, and cannot be changed? Thankfully, the answer is “no”. It is not fixed, and “yes,” it can be changed. In fact, if you listen to Season 1 Episode # 7, entitled: 9 Easy Steps to Boost Self-Esteem, you’ll be given a nine step process that will assist you to make any improvements you may think are necessary for you, or anyone else that you think might benefit from the information.

I have only skimmed the surface of the subject of success and the self-image in this article.

My purpose in this article, was to make people aware, in very simple terms, how the self-image is created, and what influences its development. Also, to make people aware of why past experiences still linger so strongly.

I hope that you have enjoyed this article, and that you’ll share it with others!

If you were to ask people the question: “What Is Success?”, you would most certainly receive a wide variety of responses.

This is because the word “Success” over the years has taken on many meanings. It is quite amazing what meaning people attach and associate to that simple word, “Success”.

For example, when some people are asked to define the word “Success”, they might associate it with wealth, material possessions, a lucrative career, or fame.

We will come back to the question: “What Is Success?” in a moment. But first, let’s take a brief look at what some have perceived success to be, and what has happened to some in their pursuit of success.

Some, unfortunately have a warped view of success. Take for example, some who are involved in sports.

According to medical researchers, more and more young athletes are taking potentially harmful performance-enhancing drugs in order to excel in sports. Education Update online reported: “When college students in a recent survey were asked: “If you knew you’d win or make the team by taking steroids, but in five years you’d get sick, would you still do it?,” nearly all said yes. When the question was changed to “If you knew you would die within five years,” 65% still said yes.” It seems some are willing to pay a high price to attain success at any cost – even if that cost is not just their careers, but their very life!

Another example comes from the entertainment world. We will keep the name of this person anonymous . Needless to say, this person was a singing phenomenon by her early 20’s and was very rich. Few people become so famous and financially successful at such an early age. But then things started to go wrong in her life. After two failed marriages, she had to spend time in alcohol and drug rehabilitation centers. Her whole life began to unravel.

Even in the more conservative business world, seemingly successful people often have troubled lives. Regarding New York City’s financial high-fliers, a newspaper reported: “The push for record profits is ruining careers, tearing apart families and keeping drug dealers busy…While record bonuses make some Wall Street bankers feel invincible, others become emotional wrecks from pressure to perform and some hit rock bottom.”

I ask the question, in view of the previous example: Is our success in life contingent with amassing wealth? Studies indicate otherwise.

For instance, a study in China showed that during a recent period when the average income grew by 250%, people actually became less satisfied with life.

We have seen from these examples, what meaning people attach to the attainment of success, and how it affects their lives and the impact it can have upon their life!

But we come back to our original question: “What Is Success?”

The Collins English dictionary defines the word “Success” as: “the favorable outcome of something attempted.”

So, “success” is when we attempt to perform some action or reach some goal, and we achieve it successfully! The other things we’ve mentioned, wealth, fame, material possessions, are merely outward results of doing something successfully – and success means different things to different people!

The problem with the definition we almost always place upon the word “success”, is ,that it can make some people feel “inferior “ and that they’re not a successful person. It can make them feel frustrated, dissatisfied with their lives, but with the kind of dissatisfaction that immobilizes them, and they become even more negative.

An author once said about the word “success”: “If you can read or write, and tie your shoe laces, you’re a success.”

In reality, the potential for “success” is within each of us. The trick is, to tap into your potential, but then, to have a sound understanding of what “success” really is, as we defined it earlier.

Don’t get sucked in by the media’s view, and definition of what success is. In real terms, success has more to do with who you are as a person, not with what your status in life might appear to be!

© 2009 by Coach Ian Scott

The self-made Millionaire, Marcel Cools once said of time:
“Mastering time is the only way to success. Everybody has the same 24 hours to work with. But some make use of every second, while others fritter them away. Time is a precious commodity, the basis of life. Without time, you can’t do anything.”

To get the most out of any 24 hour day, Marcel Cools recommended following a simple, three step process.

Step # 1: Decide what needs doing most
Step # 2: Forget everything else
Step # 3: Put everything you have, body and soul, into this activity.

Let’s take a closer look at each of those steps for success in our personal quest for time management.

Step # 1: Decide what needs doing most.

This first step in managing your time efficiently, gets you to focus on what matters most in your professional life, that has to do with your business or career.

When I worked in the recruitment industry, my business partner had this maxim: “Is what you’re doing now, going to make you rich?” In other words, is the activity your involved in, at this moment in time, a productive or time-wasting activity? Are you involved in an activity which is going to have a direct impact financially on your business, or are you paper-pushing? Never confuse the word “activity” with “accomplishment”. One [ activity ] is what you do, the other [ accomplishment ]is a definite result for what you did! This first step,then, teaches you to say “NO” to useless activity.

Step # 2: Forget everything else.

Do you have worries and stress? This second step shows you how to stop needless worry, and remain focused on what needs doing most!

If you engage in needless worry and stress, this will sap your energy and focus. You will be unable to give 100% focus to the task at hand. To succeed, you must master your ability to stay focused, or you will experience inefficiency! This will result in poor performance and results.

Step # 3: Put everything you have, body and soul, into this activity.

Following this step, will enable you to tap into your full potential and resources. You will find that you can accomplish more, and will even surprise yourself in what you’re capable of. You will find that you can use your full potential and resources at will.

If you take the time to master these three simple steps, you will experience measurable results in terms of being more productive and efficient, and in seeing a marked increase financially for your business or company. You will become more focused as a result of applying these principles, and a better manager of time.

© 2009 by Coach Ian Scott