The best self defense in the world is self esteem. Celebrate your self-image.
Today we find ourselves living in a world of distorted facts. Where a powerful phrase once meant nothing but positivity, today it may hold multiple meanings and even offend someone. Be proud of yourself and pay attention to what others think of you! I intend to tell you exactly why you really should care what others think of you. The distorted fact here may lie in the garbage years of tv and social media you’ve been subjected to. Yes, you should care what others think, and I plan to prove it. Striving toward a higher level of self-esteem, self-image, self-control and self-confidence here at AKF Lexington Martial Arts.
Be proud of you!
What others think of you does not matter! I need to tell you that I actually do not subscribe to this way of thinking. It sounds great but in reality it does not work that way. The concept of not caring what others think was probably as a result of the anti-bully and self-improvement movement of the early 2000’s. The problem is it, like many things, got diluted then over generalized. There are those whose opinion should matter and there are those whose opinion should not matter. ( Keep up with other stories in our blog posts. )
Self-confidence comes from experience.
Self-control is developed and practiced. Self-image is entirely built off feedback from those around us and the feedback sources we pick, such as TV and Social Media. You may be able to hold your head up high and give the clear indication you are confident. You may be able to have nearly perfect behavior and do what you are supposed to do even without being told. How you feel about yourself may be hidden beneath the surface and not easily noticed by others.
The best self defense in the world is self esteem, I suggest. But how do we get there? I would like to simplify this today. Be proud of yourself! Don’t lie about it and don’t pretend. If you are proud of yourself then most likely those you love will be proud of you. When you are proud of yourself, you are likely holding true to the values you and your family feel are most important. Striving toward a higher level of self-esteem, self-image, self-control and self-confidence takes us to the opinion of others. I don’t care what you think! Or should I?
If I were to stop writing here you would be stuck with the opinion on what others think, which you have grown into and accepted over many years of your own experience. This is how we have found ourselves living in a world of alternative everything. Strong opinions on many topics, which many times are flawed simply by a lack of valuable information.
Yes I should care what you think! You should care what others think of you. But not just anyone and certainly not everyone. Here is where I make my ultimate point.
Those you love! Who is important to you?
Those you love and those who are important to you should be a valuable source of feedback. These people are part of who you become, like it or not. For me the most important people I want feedback from are my immediate family, all of them. No, not every opinion they have of me is useful nor should it dictate exactly what I do in any given situation. Caring what others think does not mean doing whatever they say or behaving exactly as they expect. Interest in what others think means one very clear thing to me.
Would those you love be proud of you?
At any given moment ask yourself if those you care about would be proud of you. I suggest that if you care first about being proud of yourself then immediately care about those you love being proud of you then a fantastic thing happens. If you are proud of yourself, you are likely making quality decisions and lack the regret and doubt you would otherwise be dealing with. Pay attention to the act of wanting to make those you love proud of you, and again you are likely making good decisions that are closely linked to the values and morals both you and those you love hold dear and find important. If you make good decisions you make yourself and others proud. By recognizing this, you can support the habit and even grow it and nurture it.
Be proud of yourself! When you are proud of yourself, you are likely holding true to the values you and your family feel are most important. Striving toward a higher level of self-esteem, self-image, self-control and self-confidence also means those high quality decisions will keep you out of danger or allow you to feel the confidence in getting out of danger either by creativity or through your martial arts training here at AKF Lexington Martial Arts.
