How would you like to spruce up your self-image? You know, give
your self-esteem a real boost? You are equipped to do so, you
know. Please, allow me to show you a neat little trick that will jumpstart your self-image makeover.
Okay, ready? I want you to think of a big, mean dog. He’s
baring his teeth and growling at you. He looks like he’s about
to pounce on you. There’s nothing standing between you and him.
Take your time and make him look as ferocious and dangerous as
possible. Okay, stop! Forget about that dog for a moment.
Instead, I want you to picture a cute little puppy. Picture him
clearly now. This little guy is as friendly as they come. He is wagging his tail and wiggling toward you, anxious for you to rub his belly and scratch his ears. Aw, isn’t that sweet?
Now, let’s look at what happened here. First you saw in your
mind’s eye a vicious dog. I would bet that your mind furnished
all sorts of details, such as color, size, type, etc. Your
imagination didn’t need to be given instructions. It went to
work automatically.
Now, how did you feel with this picture in your mind? Tense?
Did you clench your jaw? Or perhaps your breathing became very
shallow or stopped altogether for a few moments.
Then, when I instructed you to envision a friendly puppy, again
your mind concocted all the details. What was your reaction this time? Did you smile? Did you chuckle softly to yourself?
I’d like to point out two things. First, neither of those
pictures existed anywhere in your immediate reality. They were
both simply figments of your imagination. Nonetheless, the
images you created were no doubt vivid. And more importantly,
your reactions, physical, psychological and emotional, were all
quite real.
Second, you were able to switch mental pictures completely and
what’s more, you did it in a flash. Exactly HOW did you
accomplish this? Do you know?
Well, I don’t know either, but that doesn’t alter the fact that you are, indeed, capable of conjuring up whatever you want, whenever you want, complete with as many details as you want. This is truly an astonishing feat!
There’s no trick to it really. It’s just the natural capacity of mind that you were born with. Can you believe that your mind has such phenomenal power? And you, and only you, have the final say as to which pictures you allow to linger in your mind. You control the master switch!
Once we start to appreciate the tremendous power of our own
minds, then it becomes much easier to put forth whatever effort
is necessary to feed it the messages WE choose rather than
society’s insinuations of our inferiority. Can you see how
powerful this mental imagery can be in boosting your
self-esteem?
Let’s try something else. I found this next exercise to be very
helpful and hopefully you will, too. Just imagine yourself
sitting like a kid in a big playroom surrounded by many building
blocks. Each block represents a thought.
Now some of these blocks are more attractive than others. You
can pick and choose any ones that you want. That’s right. If
you happen to latch onto a thought/block that you don’t like, you can just throw it back. It’s that simple. And that fast.
You are free to toss a block aside with absolutely no penalties. If you decide you want only the pretty blocks, no one else can keep you from taking them. Isn’t this a delightful little game?
Your mental screen is a terrific playground! Have fun with it!
Remember, you’re the one in charge of the controls.
Now granted, since we humans are creatures of habit, we may have
to throw back some undesirable blocks a number of times before we automatically go for the more attractive ones.
The really exciting point here, though, is that we are absolutely free to do so! No one, but no one can force us to “pick up a block” that we don’t like or want.
No matter what we hope to accomplish in business or in life,
harnessing our fantastic mental powers will greatly increase the
quantity and the quality of our contributions.
Putting our imaginations to work for us instead of against us puts us on the fast track to success. It’s like finally releasing the brakes on our engines.
I hope you’ll put these concepts to work immediately to freshen
up a battered self-image and to help yourself in many more ways.
Naturally, permanent change will not occur with the first few
attempts. However, I believe that once you have begun to explore how much fun and how powerful your own imagination is, it will be a pleasure for you to make the repeated, consistent efforts necessary to produce the changes that you desire.
I trust that the ideas put forth here have helped you to realize
and appreciate the truly extraordinary power you have at your
disposal. Certainly such awesome powers deserve to be tended and cultivated. Don’t you agree?
Rosella Aranda, international marketer and writer, helps
entrepreneurs escape their limitations, achieve their peak
potential and enjoy peace of mind. See her newest ebook at
For kind encouragement and solid motivation, please visit
