More specifically, what is your self-concept? Who do YOU think you are? Who do you WANT to be? A self-concept is different from a Mission Statement which is focused more on your PURPOSE in life. Writing out your self-concept is also different from setting goals which involves what you want to DO, what you want to achieve and accomplish. Writing out your self-concept is a terrific way to increase your self-awareness and focus your thoughts and efforts and I would strongly encourage you to do so, the benefits are many. Since I sincerely believe that thoughts held in mind attract in kind and what we focus on expands, my self-concept is oriented to the positive and definitely includes aspirational aspects!
Below are two versions I’ve written, the first is from the late 1970’s, when I was somewhere between my mid to late twenties. It was written on an IBM Selectric typewriter; I know I got my first computer, a Kaypro II the size of a sewing machine, and dot matrix printer around 1980. The second was written recently at a 3-day YPO retreat in South Beach.
Circa late 1970’s
He was the most upbeat, enthusiastic person I’d ever met. He was always alive with energy and ideas… Going places, doing things, making things happen. He kept busy with project after project… meeting people, making friends everywhere he went. He had a zest, an appetite for life that never seemed quenched… he was tall, good looking with a rugged face and gentle eyes…there was an undefinable air of confidence about him, he met everyone’s eyes straight on and his face always seemed to have a smile on it. Sometimes it was just a hint but often it was a wide, breezy grin. He was a winner, he had a sense of being in command of his life…he genuinely cared about people and enjoyed talking with them. I guess you could call him a charmer. He was good at small talk, asking people what they did, who they were, how they felt, did they like what they were doing. He was a man who could be anything he wanted to be, do anything he wanted to do… and he always knew just what he wanted…and he always went right for it, wearing that great big happy grin of his.
January 2017
I am a task-oriented, DRIVEN workaholic who has chosen to re-orient my life centered on my family: my beloved son and wife. I am a leader, a role model, a high achiever who respects the social contract and believes in giving back and honoring all stakeholders in proportion to their stakes. I am a goal-focused, solution-oriented, disciplined, continuous learning positive thinker. I awake every day with the goal of going to bed a better person having made the world better.
My Sense of Self is Anchored Deep within, from which Flows a Wonderful Sense of Peace. I cheerfully release all thoughts that hurt; forgiveness offers me ALL that I want. I Live Serenely in the Present Moment; I greet the Present Moment fully, I greet each moment as a friend. Peace of Mind is my only goal; I am responsible for the world I choose to see; I choose to see myself surrounded by a loving, supportive network. I fully understand the power of my thoughts, I use them to attract all the good I want into my life. I have an “Attitude of Gratitude” and the Habit of Happiness, I carry the Sun in my Pocket!
Wikipedia (edited for brevity)
One’s self-concept (also called self-construction, self-identity, self-perspective or self-structure) is a collection of beliefs about oneself and embodies the answer to “Who am I?”. One’s self-concept is made up of past, present, and future selves. Self-concept is distinguishable from self-awareness, which refers to the extent of one’s self-knowledge. Self-concept also differs from self-esteem: self-concept is a cognitive or descriptive component of one’s self (e.g. “I am a fast runner”), while self-esteem is evaluative and opinionated (e.g. “I feel good about being a fast runner”).
As always, I share what I most want/need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier