Nurturing a Sound Self-Concept

Lately I have had significant doubts about my effectiveness in my call in life. Together with other purpose-oriented concerns, I have discovered, again, the erosive qualities of self-doubting.

But I also rediscovered that faith cannot grow unless it is tested in a seedbed of slightly salty soil. We clearly have a paradox here; one that God requires we live with.

We don’t seem to have problems with our self-concept when things run swimmingly. We are motivated and inspired. But a short season of doubting throws anyone off track, even slightly. But such a period of doubting compels us even more to nurture a sound self-concept.

Responding To Threats To The Self-Concept

When we are threatened we need to respond. Responding well, when we are most pressed, is shifting cross-grain and running into and through and against the flow of peak hour (‘doubting’) traffic. This traffic occurs in our minds. Our self-talk collaborates with destruction if we don’t head it off at the pass.

One of the most effective ways of responding to threats to the self-concept is by getting back to the basics of doing the simple things well.

Doing The Simple Things Well

When life gets dark, swampy and messy we need a mode of reaction that points us in the right direction whilst quelling our fear.

Doing the simple things well achieves for us both objectives.

By doing the simple things well we grasp the moment and consciously our confidence is buoyed. Not only that, but we contribute to our ongoing confidence, and it builds into inertia which becomes momentum. We get to accomplish some important things, however small, and we get to feel more effective and more efficient.

By thinking on the simple things, with the aim of doing well, we have disciplined our thinking. By exhibiting better self-control over our thinking we begin to feel better. By thinking better, and simpler, our doubts tend to evaporate.

Where Two Realities Meet!

When both thinking and feeling merge we have created peace, even for the moment.

Thinking well, despite doubting, is upward tending faith. Feeling well is a downward tending confident assurance that the inputs to life are appropriate and timely. Thinking well is the input to feeling well. In the business of key performance indicators, thinking leads where feeling lags. Our thinking is a lead indicator—our investment of faith. Our feeling is a lag indicator—the consequence of our faith.

Thinking well is what we do before the event of the sound self-concept, whilst feeling well is the assurance, which is felt later, that we have achieved a sound self-concept.

Where experience meets with hope (what we have hoped for about ourselves; that which is now realised) two awesome realities fuse for us toward unbridled joy. The great thing is even a moment of this is enough to convince us of the supreme qualities of nurturing a sound self-concept. Every effort made was worth it.

***

What a great investment to nurture a sound self-concept! When we think well we tend, later, to feel well. When good thinking leads to good feeling a sound self-concept is achieved.

Thinking well is our best friend in the quest for a sound self-concept.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.