What's the difference between being yourself and being your best self? At one of my classes some time ago, a younger person came up to me at the end and asked me an important question "All the psychology and self-improvement books are always telling us that we should just be ourselves, but I get confused sometimes because I can be so many different ways. How do I know which self I should try to be?"
As I thought about it, this person was making a good point. All of us have many possible selves. Some parts of our personalities are active and obvious, but some parts may surface only now and then, and still others may remain hidden almost all the time.
We need to discover what our best self is like? Try making a list of the qualities that make your best self different from the ordinary, everyday you? You see, becoming aware of these qualities is the key to bringing them under your control. If you are aware of them, you can deliberately set out to make your everyday-self more like your best self.
Using simple techniques like affirmation, visualization and control of your self-talk, it is relatively easy to do but why would we do that? It is because, as humans, we tend to move toward and become like that which we think about.
Therefore, focus your thoughts on those aspects of yourself that you would like to see more of. Do it in a systematic way, over and over again, every day! Soon, you will find that "being yourself" will automatically mean, "being your best self."
I am reminded of something I read a long time ago but forget where I saw it but the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little EXTRA.
Think about it...
