Transformative Living Radio

Charting the Course to Your Ideal Self

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This episode explores the transformative power of redefining your self-concept to align with your aspirations. We share seven practical strategies to help listeners effectively recreate their identity, enhance their confidence, and embrace personal growth. 
• Importance of understanding self-concept 
• Exercise for identifying current and future self 
• Rewriting negative inner dialogue into positive affirmations 
• Visualization techniques for embodying your ideal self 
• Taking small, consistent actions aligned with new identity 
• Influence of surrounding environment on self-image 
• Emphasizing progress over perfection in personal development 
• Practicing gratitude for the future self 

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to Transformative Living Radio, where we explore the power of intentional change for personal growth and fulfillment. I'm Andre Flax, your host and certified life and leadership coach. As we embark upon the new year, now is a great time to ask whether your self-image aligns with the person you aspire to be. Have you ever felt stuck in a version of yourself that no longer serves you? Maybe you've been carrying labels or beliefs about who you are that have held you back from experiencing the life you desire. If that resonates with you, stay tuned. Today we're discussing one of the most powerful transformations you can experience recreating your self-concept. You see, your self-concept is the image you hold of yourself, and it's the foundation for how you act, think and feel. In today's episode, I'll walk you through seven practical strategies to help you create the version of yourself you've always dreamed of being, whether it's becoming more confident, successful, healthy or fulfilled, these seven steps will empower you to step into a new identity. So if you're ready, let's begin. Hello and welcome to another episode of Transformative Living Radio. I'm Andre Flax, your host and certified life and leadership coach. You know it's pretty amazing how quickly 2024 has come and is virtually almost over. We're about to turn into 2025.

Speaker 1:

Now, before we jump into today's episode, I want to take the time first to thank all the listeners who tune in each week to listen to the broadcast. Know that I appreciate every one of you and I hope that you would continue to support this podcast and share it with anyone you think who could benefit from the topics we bring each week. So let's jump into it. You know, december and January are the months when most people begin making their New Year's resolutions, writing out their goals and even creating vision boards. Now, all of these things are great ways to gain clarity about what you want and what you desire in the new year.

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However, the key to experiencing lasting change has more to do with your self-concept than anything else. You see, your self-concept is the image you hold of yourself, and it's the foundation to how you act, think and feel. So the question you must ask yourself is who do you see yourself as? Is the person you desire to be aligned with the current self-concept you have for yourself, believe it or not? Your current self-concept also determines the type of internal conversations you have with yourself, if you ever catch yourself saying things like I'm bad at relationships, I'm no good with money, or I'm just not a disciplined person. Your current self-concept may be the cause for those kinds of conversations you have with yourself. Self-doubt, self-pity, self-loathing and even self-criticism all stem from the type of self-image we have of ourselves. The good news is that our self-concept is not etched in stone, so in this episode, I want to share seven practical strategies to help you create the version of yourself you've always dreamed of being, whether it's becoming more confident, successful, healthy or fulfilled. These seven strategies will empower you to step into a new identity. Strategies will empower you to step into a new identity.

Speaker 1:

Now, before we jump into the strategies, let's talk about what is meant by your self-conception. Your self-conception refers to the image or the ideal you hold about yourself. It encompasses your values, your beliefs, your traits, your abilities and the roles you play. It's how you perceive yourself to be right now. Your self-conception is formed through experiences, upbringings, societal influences and personal reflections. So here's the thing when you have positive reinforcements, it builds a stronger self-conception, while, at the same time, negative feedback can lead to limiting beliefs and a negative self-conception. So the first strategy for creating your new self-conception, or your new self-concept, is to identify your current self-concept, which is who you perceive yourself to be right now.

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Here's a great exercise that you could use to help you identify your current self-concept. Try this exercise. Grab a notebook or a piece of paper and draw a line down the center of the page. On the left side, write current me Now. List all the qualities you currently identify with, both positive and negative. For example, you might write I procrastinate, or I'm a giving person, or I'm inconsistent with my goals. Or I'm a giving person or I'm inconsistent with my goals. Now, take as much time as you need to write down all the qualities that you currently identify with Now. Once you finish writing down your current me qualities, on the right side of the paper, write future me. This space will represent the version of the person you want to be. So if you wrote I procrastinate on the left side of the page, on the right side of the page you want to replace it with I take action immediately For I'm bad at relationships. For example, you might write I'm deserving of love and connections on the right side of the page. By completing this exercise, it will give you clarity and a starting point for the change you want to make in your life Now.

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Strategy number two is to rewrite your inner dialogue. You know, the stories we tell ourselves over time become our reality. If you're constantly thinking I'm not good enough, that belief will shape your actions. Now, one way that can help us rewrite our inner dialogue is through affirmations. However, the key is to make them specific and emotional. You see, affirmations are the positive, empowering statements designed to influence your thoughts, beliefs and mindset. Again, the key is to make them specific and emotional. Now here's a few examples of affirmations you might want to use. I am worthy of love and respect, I accept myself as I am, I prioritize my health and well-being, I can overcome any challenge that comes my way, I communicate clearly and confidently and I am grateful for the abundance in my life. By writing down and saying your affirmations out loud every morning, your brain will begin to believe what you're saying.

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Visualization is the third strategy, and this is the strategy where the magic begins. The truth is, we spend less time using our imaginations in a positive frame than we do in conjuring up all the negative or bad things that can or will happen to us. Believe it or not, we are programmed to focus on negative outcomes rather than the possibility of positive outcomes. When we were children, we were encouraged to use our imagination to dream and create. However, as we got older, we've become prone to use the same creative muscle to envision the worst-case scenarios. Neville Goddard said that when it comes to visualizing or imagining, feeling is the secret. You see, visualization isn't just about seeing the new you. It's about feeling what it's like to be that new person. Try this quick exercise, if you're in a safe place to do so. Close your eyes and imagine yourself living as the new you. Picture the way you walk, talk and interact with others. Feel the confidence, the joy or the calmness in your body. To get the full benefits of this exercise, spend about five minutes every day practicing visualizing the new you, preferably in the morning and just before you go to bed.

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Strategy number four is to take small, consistent actions that are aligned with the new self-concept you have. One key to changing your self-concept is actually being. You see, when you visualize your new you and begin to picture the way you would talk and walk and interact with others, the next step is to step into the role of that person. One of the key principles of ancient philosophers and religious teachings is that, in order to do, you must first be Meaning. We must step into the role of the person we wish to be and begin to do the behaviors of that person. Remember, change doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen with small, consistent steps. Ask yourself this question what is one small action I can take today to align with my new self-concept? If your new self-concept is to become a healthier and more vibrant person, begin by changing one small aspect of your diet that will gradually enhance your overall health. Perhaps start with a 15-minute daily walk. These small victories build momentum and strengthen your belief in your new self.

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Your environment plays a massive role in shaping your self-concept. So the fifth strategy is to surround yourself with people, spaces and tools that support your growth. Let me expand on this strategy a bit. Your growth Let me expand on this strategy a bit. There's a proverb that says you can't put new wine in an old bottle. When you decide to change your self-concept, it's also vital that you surround yourself with people, spaces and tools that support the new. You, for example, jake, is a young professional who decided that he wanted to change his self-concept to be one of a more positive and optimistic person. You see, jake realized that most of the conversations he had had in the past with certain co-workers had been negative and full of complaints about the company. To fully embrace his new self-concept, jake begins monitoring his interactions with those co-workers and his participation in any negative conversations that may arise. Another important step that Jake took was reading positive content that helped support his new self-image. Over time, jake was able to shift his identity from someone who was negative to someone who was positive and optimistic, someone who was negative to someone who was positive and optimistic.

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Strategy number six is to embrace the idea that true change is all about progression and not perfection. You see, personal development is messy and therefore it's important to remember that whenever you decide to transform yourself, there'll be challenges. So it's important to celebrate your progress, no matter how small, instead of waiting for perfection Never got to put it this way, your assumption that you are now the new you to be effective cannot be a single isolated act. It must be a maintained attitude of the desired state of your new self-concept. In other words, you must maintain the mindset of the new you until the desired behavioral changes find their expression through you.

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Strategy number seven is the practice of gratitude for your future self. You see, gratitude is a powerful way to solidify your new self-concept. Start thanking your future self for the growth and experience due to your new transformation. One way to do this each night is to write down three things that you're grateful for as if they already happened. For example, if it's confidence that you seek, you might write. I am grateful for the confidence I feel when speaking when I'm in meetings, even if you're not quite there yet. The act of writing down three things that you're grateful for will help rewire your brain to believe what's possible.

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Now, as we wrap up this episode, let's recap the seven strategies for creating your new self-concept. Strategy number one is to identify your current concept Now. If it doesn't align with the image you envision for yourself, remember you can change it. Strategy number two is to rewrite your inner dialogue. What we say to ourselves about ourselves creates and shapes the world we actually experience. Strategy number three is to envision the new. You See yourself as the person you've always aspired to be. Visualize how you would walk, talk and engage with others as if you're that person right now.

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Strategy number four is to take small, consistent actions. Each step you take that aligns with the new self-image you have of yourself strengthens your belief in being that new person. Strategy number five is to change your environment. Your environment plays a huge role in shaping your self-concept, so it's essential to surround yourself with people, spaces and tools that support the new self-concept. Strategy number six celebrate progress, not perfection. True transformation is a journey and it's important to celebrate your progress, no matter how small. Finally, strategy number seven is to practice gratitude for your future self. Get in the habit of writing down three things you're grateful for as if they already have happened. Remember creating a new self-concept is a journey and not a sprint. I challenge you to focus on one of the strategies this week and watch how it transforms your mindset and your actions. Well, that's our show for today. We hope that you found this episode both insightful and inspiring. Join us each week for practical tips, actionable insights and inspiring stories to help you transform your life. We hope you can join us.

Speaker 2:

We'll see you soon To experience a free coaching session with Andre Flats. Click the link in the show notes to book your coaching session today, or contact him at andretransformativelivingradiocom. If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a comment. Wherever you get your podcasts and share it with friends.