We have all heard the phrase, “There is no reality, only perception.” The world is to each of use what we perceive it to be. Some people perceive the world to be wonderful and others perceive it to be horrendous. How we perceive our lives becomes our reality. How we perceive ourselves becomes our reality.
It seems to me that when it comes to self-perception, there are three types of people.
There are those who do not give themselves enough credit. They do not think they are that good or that worthy. They focus on their failures. If this sounds like you, try focusing on your strengths and talents. You may be a much better person, and much better at what you do, than you think.
There are also those who create a perception about themselves that is much better than what others have of them. They may do this to make themselves feel good about themselves, to justify past actions, or to avoid looking too closely at who they really are. If this might be you, consider being honest with yourself. If there are things in your life that you want to improve, you cannot make good decisions with faulty information.
And then there are those individuals who have a pretty accurate perception of themselves. They see their faults and work to overcome them rather than letting the faults define who they are. They see their strengths and accomplishments and take credit for their hard work and persistence. If this is you, congratulations!
Which type do you think you are? Are there any changes you would like to make in your perception of yourself?
