Accepting Your Good

In order to use creative visualization to create what you want in life, you must be willing and able to accept the best that life has to offer you - your "good."

Strange as it may seem, many of us have difficulty accepting the possibility of having what we want in life. This usually stems from some basic feelings of unworthiness which we took on at a very early age. The basic belief goes something like this: "I'm really not a very good (loveable, worthwhile) person so I don't deserve to have what I want."

This belief is usually mixed with other, sometimes contradictory feelings that you really are perfectly good and deserving. But if you find that you have any difficulty imagining yourself in the most wonderfully possible circumstances, or that you have thoughts like, "I could never have that" or "That couldn't possibly happen ot me," it might be a good idea to take a look at your self-image.

Your self-image is the way you see yourself, how you feel about yourself. It is often complex and multifaceted. To get in touch with different aspects of your self-image, begin to ask yourself "How do I feel about myself right now?" at various times throughout the day, and in various different situations.

One very interesting and revealing action to take is to get in touch with your physical images of yourself by asking, "How do I look to myself right now?" If you find yourself feeling awkward, ugly, fat, skinny, too big, too small, or whatever, it may be a clue to the fact that you aren't loving yourself enough to give yourself what you truly deserve - the best.

Once you get in touch with the ways in which you are not loving yourself, begin to take every opportunity to make positive, appreciative, loving statements to yourself. notice when you are being mentally harsh or critical with yourself, and consciously begin being kinder and more appreciative. You will find this immediately helps you to be more loving toward others, as well.

Think of specific qualities that you do appreciate about yourself. In the same way that you can love a good friend while clearly seeing his or her faults and shortcomings, you can love yourself for all that you truly are, while still being aware that there are ways you need to grow and develop. It feels very good to do this for yourself, and it can really work wonders in your life.

It is often very effective to talk to yourself in the second person, using your own name. For example:

Susan, you are a brilliant and interesting person. I like you very much.
John you are so warm and loving. People really appreciate that about you.

This way of talking directly to yourself is especially effective because much of our negative self-image comes from being convinced in various ways at an early age by other people that we are bad, stupid, or inadequate in some way.

Try to picture yourself as clearly as you can, and think of giving love to yourself, the same way you would to anyone else you care for. You might think of it as the parent in you giving love and appreciation to the child in you.