Self Help

A negative preconception is an unproductive way of viewing yourself. Preconceptions are previously formed opinions, or ideas, you have about yourself. These preformed opinions, or biases, about who you are can influence your future feelings and actions. The most significant way to determine whether or not you will succeed is whether your preconceptions are positive or negative. Negative preconceptions prevent you from motivating yourself. They also prevent you from taking positive action to change your self-image.

With barriers or unpleasant situations in your way, it’s extremely difficult to see clearly enough to remove the obstacles. When barriers block your growth process, your self-worth and self confidence are weakened. The opportunity to relate to, work with, or be acknowledged by others is diminished. Negative preconceptions are counter productive, self-punishing, and unhelpful.

Your self-worth and self-confidence are strengthened when you’re able to relate to others and be acknowledged in ways that you value and that cause you the least amount of discomfort. Once you eliminate negative preconceptions, you become aware of and begin to experience the kinds of relationships and situations that help you build your sense of self-esteem and self-confidence.

When you begin to discover situations that raise your self-worth and self-confidence, take advantage of those situations. Instead of saying to yourself, “What does it really matter,” believe that you have control of changing your life and say, “I’m going for it,” “I feel so optimistic that every situation is an exciting challenge,” “I’m unstoppable.” Change your negative vocabulary and self-talk into positive vocabulary and self-talk on a continual basis. Identifying statements that create negative emotions (i.e., anxiety, fear, and insecurity) and statements that create positive emotions (i.e., excitement, joy, and challenge) affords you the opportunity to change your statements to create positive emotional and mental states. Ultimately, this will change how you act toward others.

Involve yourself in healthy, optimistic situations that generate positive outcomes and help you overcome fears. Fears are inner barriers, or roadblocks, that can be removed by changing negative thoughts into positive ones to create positive action. Fears are fueled by a poor or negative self-image. Fear of making decisions, helplessness, fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of your own greatness, and fear of your own talents are all behaviors, or conditions, that prevent you from changing.

For example, when you fear failure, your motivation is to avoid failure rather than to achieve or seek success. You can fear your best as well as your worst. These barriers will also prevent you from exerting yourself, not because you can’t perform, but because you fear you can’t perform well.