“Someone else’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality.”
Hearing those famous words by motivational speaker Les Brown had the most profound impact on my life as a young girl. It helped me to realize that I am the one who is in control of how I think about myself.
No one else can dictate to me how I feel about myself. No one else can determine my future, who I am capable of becoming or who I will be. And no one else should have the right to tell me what about me is beautiful, complete, or perfect. I should be the only person to do that and I should decide that for myself.
I think we all need to have these notions when it comes to fighting any ideal within our society, like body image, success, and more. There is so much going on in our world that is claiming people’s lives — literally and figuratively. We need to help each other to realize that there is no perfect person, perfect life or perfect body. Everyone has unique qualities that make the imperfect beautiful.
I wholeheartedly believe that these seven tips (along with these seven quotes) can provide the change in perspective needed for anyone trying to overcome negative thoughts about themselves and the perfectionist mentality. I hope that they inspire you:
1. Don’t allow society’s ideals to become your own.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” ~Steve Jobs
2. Stay true to yourself.
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” ~Leo Tolstoy
3. Remember, it’s about how YOU feel about yourself.
“You are loved just for being who you are, just for existing. You don’t have to do anything to earn it. Your shortcomings, your lack of self-esteem, physical perfection, or social and economic success—none of that matters. No one can take this love away from you, and it will always be here.” ~Ram Dass
4. Get rid of this idea of “perfection.”
“To establish true self-esteem we must concentrate on our successes and forget about the failures and the negatives in our lives.” ~Denis Waitley
5. Stop believing that there are only certain body types. Every body is unique. Embrace your uniqueness – flaws and all.
“You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful.” —Amy Bloom
6. Be honest with yourself about your feelings. Journaling about your feelings is a great way to “authentically” navigate any situation.
“Never be ashamed of what you feel. You have the right to feel any emotion that you want, and to do what makes you happy. That’s my life motto.” ~Demi Lovato
7. Change your thoughts. Use every ounce of positivity to empower yourself and others.
“Work hard for what you want because it won’t come to you without a fight. You have to be strong and courageous and know that you can do anything you put your mind to. If somebody puts you down or criticizes you, just keep on believing in yourself and turn it into something positive.” ~Leah LaBelle
8. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and see the greatness that lies within you.
“Surround yourself with people who make you hungry for life, touch your heart, and nourish your soul.” ~Unknown
9. Don’t break when you feel broken and don’t beat up on yourself when things happen, just keep going.
“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”~Michael Jordan
10. Believe in what’s inside of you and be who you were born to be – nothing more and nothing less, despite any setbacks. You can do it.
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”~Confucius
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