Whether we realize it or not, each of us has an internalized picture of ourselves. It may not be easily definable to our conscious minds, but it’s there. This self-image is how we present ourselves to the world. It is the person you are. It’s built from all our beliefs we hold about ourselves. But most of those beliefs have unconsciously taken shape from past experiences, in success and failure, in love and heartbreak, in triumph and humiliation, and the way others have responded to our actions throughout our lives starting from when we were young. Each of these experiences paint one stroke on the canvas that becomes the “self-image”. Just as when a painter lays down a brush stroke uniquely changing or constructing their image, so too does each interaction we have become a part of us. We never question the validity of what is laid down, but act as if each part of us is justified.

All our actions, thoughts, behaviors, and to a great extent the limits we place on our abilities, are consistent with our self-image. We “act like” the sort of person we perceive ourselves to be. If the stroke on our canvas provide a blueprint of how we see ourselves and approach the world. We cannot act outside of the lines of who we perceive ourselves to be, in spite of all our conscious efforts to the contrary. The person who thinks of themself as a failure, will inevitably find a way to fall short in all situations, no matter how hard they try or how much willpower they stand to exert. Just as, the person who believes themself to be a victim, will always find the circumstances to invariably verify that opinion.

Who we think we are, doesn’t have to be who we are. With the right awareness, the canvas can change. We can’t erase the past, but we can create new layers that help us redefine the image we see.