Some years ago I had a friend who cut the labels off her worn out or no-longer-in-fashion designer clothes and sewed them on clothing she bought at discount stores. I thought it was hysterically funny and, at the same time, overwhelmingly sad. What was so important about that label, I wondered. It was the same dress regardless of its label. But on reflection, that wasnt true. The designer label made her feel good about what she was wearing and about the way she looked it made her feel good.

We wear labels on ourselves like labels on garments, and these labels tend to reflect our self image and determine our self esteem. Where do these labels come from? They may originate from remarks made about or to us and actions toward us by others from childhood until now. But we are always the one who sews them on. We put them on by how often we think of them and/or the emotion we attach to them.You have both positive and negative labels and they both influence your behavior and beliefs about yourself.

Negative Labels such as:

• Im too fat
• Im too thin.
• Im not good enough.
• Im ugly.
• Men/women dont like me because Im not attractive.
• Im unloved, unlovable and unloving.
• And on and on.

Positive Labels (Designer Labels) such as:

• I can accomplish anything I set out to accomplish.
• Im smart.
• I look good.
• People like me.
• I establish and maintain lasting relationships.
• I am destined for success.
• And, again, on and on.

What are your labels and what can you do about the negative ones? The answer sounds simplistic and it is: You remove the old, negative labels and replace them with new designer labels just like my friend removed labels from her dresses and replaced them with designer labels.

You can do this with:

Positive Affirmations and Positive Self Talk affirming those characteristics you do want in your life, with meaning and passion on a frequent, regular basis.

Visualize the labels you dont want, seeing yourself remove them and replace them with new positive labels. See them on you, for example, in banners with big lettering like the contestants in beauty contests. Imagine they are hung on you with velcro. Rip them off and hear the sound of ripping velcro. Put on the positive label that you desire.

Seek out a therapist who can help you remove the labels and replace them with positive labels. It is o.k. to seek out help when you need it. Sometimes all you need is a little boost over the rough spots.

A wonderful little axiom I picked up somewhere is What other people think of me is none of my business. Its their business. I know what I think about me and what I want to think about me. Thats my business.

Excuse me, I have to go sew on some new designer labels.

Irene Conlan has a masters degree in nursing, a doctoral degree in metaphysics, is a certified hypnotherapist and an ordained minister. She practices holistic hypnotherapy and officiates at weddings in Scottsdale, Az and the Phoenix metropolitan area. Irene can be found at http://www.theselfimprovementblog.com

Clothing and Self Esteem
Clothing has very different impact on our self esteem. The higher is self-esteem the less clothing affects it, but the opposite is also true - the lower is self-esteem the more power cloths and fashion have over a person.I am not saying that people w...

Melbourne Clothing Labels - What Options Do You Have For Getting Your Logo Noticed?
Melbourne Clothing Labels Clothing labels come in a number of shapes and sizes, and have a number of different uses. And thankfully for Melbourne consumers, there are over 30 Melbourne businesses that cater to this niche market.Thats handy when you c...

Self Adhesive Labels Can Simplify And Amplify Your Melbourne Business
I know this might sound like a lofty statement, but self adhesive labels can make a world of difference to your business. And Melbourne is home to an array different types of label manufacturers and retailers. So before you start thinking that I "nee...

Confidence - Self Esteem Or Determination?
Where does confidence come from? How can we have confidence? Interesting questions, no?Well, we all know, or we should know, that confidence comes from within. But a lot of people think that self-esteem is where we find our confidence. I disagree. I ...

Questionnaire On Self Esteem - The LAST Question Out Of 5 Important Questions You Need To Answer
Here is the questionnaire on self esteem where I share with you the final question, question 5: What Do You Do When You Feel Your Self Esteem Is Low Again?It is totally natural that your self esteem will go up and down. That is because we are exposed...

A Great Description of Self Esteem
A great description of self-esteem I find helpful, goes like this.Self-esteem is when you Cant wait to get up in the morning When you walk tall When you look people in the eye And move with confidence Its when you are handed A difficult assignm...

Questionnaire On Self Esteem - Here Is Question 1 Out Of 5 Important Questions You Need To Answer
Here is the questionnaire on self esteem, question 1: How Do You Feel About Yourself NOW?This is going to be a short article and I have written it such that the information will only be information if you just read and do nothing. It will work for yo...

Breaking the Chain of Low Self Esteem
This is complete insider information on how to break the chain of Self Esteem. Why should anyone desire to get loose from low Self Esteem? Heres why low Self Esteem is a disease, a disaster, a success monster. Low Self Esteem blocks real success, in...

Self Esteem and Work
How you evaluate your self worth affects every facet of your life. This article just happens to centre on how Self Esteem affects our work whatever you are involved in. first well describe what Self Esteem is and try to find its relationship in your...

Building Self Esteem - What You Should Know and What You Should Do Before Building Your Self Esteem
Lots of people want to increase the level of their self esteem. Why? Well, there are different answers to that: to feel more confident, more secure, more alive even. But notice something: self-esteem has almost everything to do with feelings.Before y...