Growing up, I was insecure about money, clothes… everything. As I have gotten older, these insecurities have gotten better, but YouTube has created others. And I'm not the only one with insecurities. I've received a significant amount of emails from men regarding being self-conscious about their body part(s) or their body as a whole. These men who are writing in are really self-conscious, and
I can relate as my ears were always a source of a bit of anxiety for me.
I hated my ears when I was younger because I thought I looked like Spock or Eddie Munster. I considered having my ears pinned back, and I used to stand in the mirror and assess what I was really self-conscious about. So what am I going to do about them? After time, I have grown into them and started to give them less and less consideration & attention. In other words, nothing. I
am going to do nothing about them -- not even think about them.
Many times when we’re younger, we may feel self-conscious and awkward about an aspect of our body or face. But as we mature and develop into more confident individuals, some of those concerns fade. For me, my ears still stick out a bit, but they are the least of my concerns.
But this also brings me to the fact that WE ARE OUR OWN WORST CRITIC. We are so incredibly hard on ourselves. We can take something that is totally a non-issue, which nobody in a million years would ever guess that we’re worried about, and make an issue out of it. We can make it blow up into some huge
thing.
Gentlemen, we are all different. We all have different unique aspects, characteristics, and idiosyncrasies about our personalities and bodies. We could modify our bodies with surgery, but chances are something else will cause insecurity.
Instead, the best bet is to work on making yourself more CONFIDENT and secure. That way, over time, you’ll pay less and less attention to that aspect that made you self-conscious. You’ll come to terms with the situation and realize that whatever was causing the insecurity adds character to you. Here are my top ten steps to improve your confidence:
Recognize and identify your insecurities- what makes you uncomfortable, scared, and ashamed of yourself. Write it down.
Talk about it with people – face it by addressing it with people you trust. Resolve these issues to move on. Some problems might not go away but accepting and dealing with them allows you to move on. Accept who you are and what has happened to you.
Don’t dwell on your mistakes.
Identify what you are really good at / excel at – permit yourself to be proud.
Be thankful for what you have.
Eliminate negativity from your thoughts and speech – positivity spreads, and you’ll be amazed at the people who you touch in a positive way.
Accept compliments – say ‘thank you.’
Stick to your principles
Help others – by being a kind person, your self-esteem and confidence are boosted.
Do something every day for yourself (something that makes you happy and that you enjoy!)
Stop yourself from being fixated on something that is truly all in your mind. Instead, be good to yourself and realize that we are all way too hard on ourselves. Eventually, you will no longer find the need for self-criticism, and in the end, you will discover who you really are and feel better about yourself than you ever have.
Don't be hard on yourself because you are beautiful and made perfectly
you.
Alpha M. POST of the
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I wanted to try some skinny jeans with a blazer. Is this look appropriate for an older guy? (I am 69) Or am I "pushing it"? Thanks for all your comments.
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