I'm positively surprised, that so many of you could relate to and appreciated my last blogpost about self-development „How to: Fear Less and Live More“, so I decided that it’s time to share some deeper insight on the topic of... the self

and for that I am starting a NEW SERIES on my blog, where I share with you practical life-hacks sometimes in the form of own formulated thoughts and sometimes as excerpts from great books, quoting the wisdom of others...

"Understanding the psychology of the self can mean the difference between success and failure, love and hate, bitterness and happiness. The discovery of the real self can rescue a crumbling marriage, recreate a faltering career, transform victims of 'personality failure.' On another plane, discovering your real self means the difference between freedom and the compulsions of conformity."

https://s14.postimg.org/jkzw4bjo1/Full_Size_Render_38.jpg

There are many good books out there and a way to constantly grow and work on yourself is by reading as many good books as you can whenever you can, collecting the best fruits from each.

Now to start off the series I am going to introduce you to my all-time favorite self-development book.
After re-reading it and taking notes for the second time, I felt like it would not be right to keep such valuable knowledge I've gained to myself.

From all the mindset books out there this one is by far the best, if your brain just like mine responds to and internalizes best, when confronted with scientifically logical theories.
The book has 15 chapters and even though I still recommend to buy the book and read it yourself, I am going to give you the what I find, most important sections from the book in "digestible pieces" here on Steemit. I hope you enjoy the read!

THE SCIENCE OF CYBERNETICS

Psycho- Cybernetics, Maxwell Maltz

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51y5gP4vMIL._AC_UL320_SR214,320_.jpg

The science of Cybernetics does not tell us that "man" is a machine but that man has and uses a machine. Moreover, it tells us how that machine functions and how it can be used.

Even though it grew out of the work of physicists and mathematicians rather than that of psychologists, the new science of cybernetics made an important breakthrough in psychology possible.

Chapter 1. The Self-Image: Your Key to a Better Life

The first chapter focuses on SELF-IMAGE, as it is the foundation of your life. It is the foundation of your life, because you no matter what act and react according to the way you see yourself (even though we like to blame outer circumstances)...

http://www.azquotes.com/picture-quotes/quote-the-man-who-thinks-he-can-and-the-man-who-thinks-he-can-t-are-both-right-which-one-are-henry-ford-39-85-72.jpg

"Whether we realize it or not, each of us carries about with us a mental blueprint or picture of ourselves. It may be vague and ill-defined to our conscious gaze. In fact, it may not be consciously recognizable at all. But it is there, complete down to the last detail. This self-image is our own conception of the "sort of person I am."

It has been built up from our own beliefs about ourselves. But most of these beliefs about ourselves have unconsciously been formed from our past experiences, our successes and failures, our humiliations, our triumphs, and the way other people have reacted to us, especially in early childhood. From all these we mentally construct a "self" (or a picture of a self).

Once an idea or belief about ourselves goes into this picture it becomes "true," as far as we personally are concerned. We do not question its validity, but proceed to act upon it just as if it were true.

https://media0.giphy.com/media/14bDN9kgSH9bd6/giphy.gif

This self-image becomes a golden key to living a better life because of two important discoveries:

1. All your actions, feelings, behavior—even your abilities—are always consistent with this self-image. In short, you will "act like" the sort of person you conceive yourself to be. Not only this, but you literally cannot act otherwise, in spite of all your conscious efforts or will power. The man who conceives himself to be a "failure-type person" will find some way to fail, in spite of all his good intentions, or his will power, even if opportunity is literally dumped in his lap. The person who conceives himself to be a victim of injustice, one "who was meant to suffer," will invariably find circumstances to verify his opinions. The self-image is a "premise," a base, or a foundation upon which your entire personality, your behavior, and even your circumstances are built. Because of this our experiences seem to verify, and thereby strengthen our self images, and a vicious or a beneficent cycle, as the case may be, is set up.

Our Self-Image prescribes the limits for the accomplishment of any particular goals. It prescribes the "area of the possible.

2. The self-image can be changed. Numerous case histories have shown that one is never too young nor too old to change his self-image and thereby start to live a new life. One of the reasons it has seemed so difficult for a person to change his habits, his personality, or his way of life, has been that nearly all efforts at change have been directed to the circumference of the self, rather than to the center. "Positive thinking" cannot be used effectively as a patch or a crutch to the same self image. In fact, it is literally impossible to really think about a particular situation, as long as you hold a negative concept of self.

http://www.simpleimageresizer.com/_uploads/photos/4e34a404/IMG_6143_50.png

Get a New Mental Picture of Yourself

The unhappy, failure-type personality cannot develop a new self-image by pure will power, or by arbitrarily deciding to. There must be some grounds, some justification, some reason for deciding that the old picture of self is in error, and that a new picture is appropriate. You cannot merely imagine a new self-image; unless you feel that it is based upon truth. Only when a person does change his self-image, he has the feeling that for one reason or another, he "sees," or realizes the truth about himself"...

to be continued...

This is just the beginning and I can't wait to share the next parts with you.

Question of the day: Can you approximate the accuracy of your self-image?

As always, feel free to share your thoughts!

Much love, Mrs.Steemit