UKSA News

How we see ourselves

Published 23/07/2020

So let’s think about the words that follow ‘I am’ because they really do determine so much about how we feel about ourselves. What we tell ourselves is both powerful and important, if we think we can, we can, and if we think we can’t, we can’t. We are very good self-convincers. Our internal dialogue can be both friendly and our own worst enemy. It can be brutal and near break us or it can be empowering and full of hope and possibility.

Although we can’t always sway how others see us – they are influenced by their own thinking and perspective- we do 100% have sway over how we see ourselves. We can re-write our story, change our course, and ultimately take responsibility for what we can change if we choose to. The ‘I am rubbish at…’ and ‘I am never going be able to…’ are all looking at what we lack, where we feel we fail, who we feel we ‘should’ be. It’s all very well being aware of the bits of ourselves that aren’t the strongest but the continual pointing out and reminding ourselves of this stuff isn’t at all helpful.

We all have strengths and powers and best bits and its absolutely ok to accept and appreciate those bits about yourself. Think about it, when others say good things about you, we hold our heads up a little higher and we walk a little taller – because our faith in ourselves has been validated.

So, I ask you to look at yourself through a more favourable lens. Let yourself be the catalyst for that flutter of kindness to flow through you and for you to catch hold of. Let yourself identify the role you play in giving yourself a boost or a metaphorical trip up. But most of all let your ‘I am’s’ be kind ones.

Stay well x
Kim Fry
UKSA Welfare Officer