Background

• Self-image is profoundly important, not only to us, personally, but also in our marriage and how we show up for our family and friends.
• Self-image is what you think about yourself and what you tell yourself about what and who you are.
  • It can also be affected by what you think other people think of you.

Self-Image vs. Self-Esteem

• Your self-image is different from your self-esteem.
• Self-esteem is the ability to like, admire, and value oneself.  In other words, how you feel about yourself (versus what you think about yourself).
• If you have low self-esteem, what others may say or think about you can really hurt your self-image, and the more you let it affect us, the more your self-image begins to erode.
• Self-esteem and self-image often go hand-in-hand.
  • If you have low self-esteem, you often have a poor self-image, and if you have a poor self-image, you will naturally have low self-esteem.

Opinions of Others and Your Self-Esteem

• You do not want other people’s opinions and thoughts determine who you are – you want to be able to make that decision.

Your Thoughts Affect your Self-Image

• What is your main thought about yourself?
  • How do you see yourself on both the outside and inside?
    • Do you see yourself as competent, pretty, smart, and fun?  Or do you see yourself as disorganized and overwhelmed?
    • Your subconscious mind works to create a reality in alignment with your inner thoughts.
    • Your mind can change your self-image
      • The stories or beliefs your mind tells you have the power to change your self-image.
      • It all comes down to the thoughts you hold about yourself and what you tell yourself about who and what you are.

Your Beliefs About Yourself – Your Self-Image

• What is the belief or beliefs that you think about yourself?
• Instead of, “I’m not pretty enough”, or “smart enough”, or simply “enough”, how about you think, “I am exactly the woman God created me to be”?
• Do a thought download on this and write down all the thoughts that come to your mind when you think about you are.
  • Once you complete that, do another thought download on who you want to be.

Who Do You Want to Be?

• Imagine yourself in 20 years – who are you?  Who do you want to be?
• You get to decide who you are and what you believe about yourself.  Your self-image is created by you and not others.
• Self-image is the core of how we relate to God and to our husband, children, and friends.
• Good self-image requires self-discipline in your thoughts and actions, in your feelings, and in the way you show up.

Know Yourself

• Know what your gifts, talents, faults, and weaknesses are.  You are not perfect, except you are perfect in God’s design.
  • He did not mess up, but He is calling you to notice those things that are not perfect and then to strive to perfect them.
  • You need to refuse to allow what others think about you change the way you think about yourself.

Final Thoughts

• The power of self-image is really everything.
• Again, do a thought download on who you are and who you want to be, and if there are discrepancies, decide what you want to change.