The Mask of Self Image

"Image is not who you are - Image is self inflicted" - Heraclitus - Greek Philosopher

Deep down, underneath the thick, protective layers of pretence, ego, jealousy and intolerance lies your perfect unspoiled True-Self - Your Soul. Your unique Self can be found in situations where there is no need to pretend that you are something or someone that you are not. It can be found in circumstances where you don't have to compete or impress anybody with your wealth, material possessions, position or status in society. The unspoiled beauty of the True-Self can be found in situations when you are alone or in the company of your pet, as there is no need to pretend and we can be ourselves. Why do we hide behind falseness of self-imposed image? Some of us are doing it from fear of not being accepted and others to gain respect, admiration or to become the focus of attention. We have made ourselves to believe that "image is everything". Our perception is based on the media driven obsession with wealth, youth and the perfect body. Then comes the diets, Botox, plastic surgery and anti-wrinkle creams not to mention the latest wonders of technology and gadgetry. All this is aimed at You - so you can improve your image and your self.To achieve this we are buying expensive clothes, building bigger houses, going on holidays to tropical destinations, driving prestigious cars and sending our children to private schools. Everything must be bigger and better in order to outdo the proverbial Mr and Mrs Jones...or to keep up with the Kardashians.

Someone clever once said: "Most people spend money they don't really have, on things they don't really need, to impress people that don't really care". We are not buying a product, we are buying an image. From an early age, we are starting to hide our true identity and begin to play the "big cover up game". Every day we are hiding behind false, materialistic masks of self importance to impress others. Living in the age of a "disposable society", this task is easy to achieve because we can simply buy ourselves a "brand new image" and "discard" the old one. Trying to outdo our competitors or to become equal, results in development of the condition known as "status inferiority". Under these conditions, the True Identity is hidden even more deeply, covered by thick layers of pretence. "There will always be someone that is better off or worse off than you are. There will always be someone that can "play your game" better than you can" - Anon

Self image is formed in childhood when our "worth" is first established, being influenced by our parents, family, peers and friends. It is an image we have of ourselves made up of ideas that were formed over the years - it is the way we see ourselves in our mind. This image is often distorted due to unpleasant experiences in earlier life, like being accused of stupidity or unworthiness, resulting in a projection of false image.Your self image is not your True Image. Attractive people think of themselves as ugly, too fat or too old, automatically sabotaging their True Image and compromising their True Identity. This process leads only to the loss of self confidence. Lack of self confidence means, each time an opportunity comes your way you will pull away, settling for the familiar, depriving yourself of future rewards. When you lose self confidence you will attract a false image. Projection of this kind is registered by other people as something untrue or artificial, creating the desire to compete with you and your image. Negative views of yourself will deliver undesirable results, disharmony, self doubt and low esteem. Self image is often a result of self worth or lack of it. If we feel unworthy in ourselves it is very easy to undermine or belittle our personal achievements, abilities and positive attributes. This kind of approach leads to the development of a suitable "cover" to hide the feeling of inadequacy. The false, self imposed image is not for us, but for others to see, accept and recognize. Self worth and self image can be totally opposing. In order to achieve a perfect balance we need to feel strong and confident about our true identity and who we really are. Follow this and your True Image will take care of itself naturally. The most important thing is to remember that when you value yourself, other people will value you as well and if you appreciate your worth; you will feel confident and able to do and be whoever you want.

"Look inside your soul to discover who you really are" - Plato - Greek Philosopher

The disturbance in self image can be described as the "Bling-bling Syndrome" - the bigger the bling - the smaller the self image. The journey to self discovery and self mastery starts when we are willing to look within, to find the true, undisturbed and untarnished image of ourselves without pretence, without falseness, without self imposed limitations or inadequacies.

"I am free from the influence of others opinion. I think for myself and I know who I AM" - Melanie Mayell - Writer

The self image you attract to yourself depends entirely upon the energy you project to the world.

"If you are kind to yourself Your Self will be attracted to you. The Self is without a body, without a shape, whole, pure, wise, all knowing, far shining, self depending all transcending" - (Eesha Upanishad verse 6)

The best way to attract your True Image to yourself is to:

- Avoid negative thoughts such as - I am ugly, fat, old, not good enough, stupid or incompetent.

- Appreciate and value yourself because your True Image is a reflection of your True Self.

- Recognize your uniqueness and proclaim it through your actions - feel good about being You.

- Self Image is a product of the ego. In reality, the ego is fragile, so for this reason alone it always wants things that will help it feel better. The ego is never satisfied and always wants more: money, power, glamour, control...it is dominant, competitive, selfish and demanding. It craves importance, glory, praise and prestige, constantly seeking approval, acceptance, status and applause, relying on admirers and observers.

- The ego contributes to the development of a false image which is based on self limiting knowledge that we are only..."a certain person with a certain job, certain relationship, certain possessions, certain functions, certain family, certain...." so watch out for this "great impostor" which will always try to convince you that, you are in fact... somebody else.

Only True Image is a reflection of True Self.

Self Image represents who we are - True Image represents what we are.