Project One

Karen Escobar
CM206
Interpersonal Communication
05/15/2015
Project One There are four main guidelines to improving ones self-concept. The first concept is the most difficult and the most essential. We have to make a strong commitment to our personal progress. It is more than just wanting to change to be accepted by others, but mostly to be comfortable in the skin you’re in. We have to put in the time and effort to achieve our goal. It is going to be a hard and stressful work and it will not happen overnight. We must also realize that there are going to be ups and downs in the process of trying to change, there’s going to be times that you want to give up but you need to have something that motivates you strongly and to not let anything bring you down. Change isn’t easy. The second concept is gain and use knowledge to support personal growth. We must learn how our self-concept developed and since when did it began and how or why? We should see how others view themselves and others maybe there are a connection on why there is discrimination for being a different race or having a different sexual orientation. We should make and take the time to learn information about ourselves through self-observation, as we share our hopes and dreams we get advice from others that can relate or give us a new perception on who we are and we gain some understanding and some knowledge of ourselves by relating with others who are in the same or where in the same situation. The third concept is setting realistic and rational goals. In order to change we also have to be aware that the change we want to accomplish is obtainable. We should set small goals from time to time and then slowly work are way up to the bigger goals. In my opinion I believe we always try to be what others say we should be or try to be the term “perfect” when in reality no one is perfect. The fourth concept is seeking contexts that support personal change. Place ourselves in a positive environment. Socialize with people who will help you and support you throughout your change, people who are there to help you get back up when you fall. We also have to ignore negativity and always believe in ourselves to have confidence that we can obtain that change. We also have to ignore our own conscious because sometimes we can also bring ourselves down with negativity of our own. We must always remain positive and speak positive to ourselves and others. Throughout middle school and high school I always had a weight problem, starting from the 8th grade I started gaining a lot of weight due to stress. I’ve had a horrible childhood that I’ve always had to live with and still haunt’s me till this day. I remember in middle school I would stay after school to workout and I would join soccer or basketball and I would last a week and stop. In high school I had already went up 3 sizes and I would always be made fun of by the “popular girls” and some guys as well. It was devastating and the only thing it did was make me feel horrible about myself. Throughout the four years in high school I probably signed up to like 5 different gyms throughout the year and only went a few times and fail again. I was even to the point that I was trying diet pills and getting sick. But, I gave up and eventually began to ignore all those harsh words and said to myself that this is me and I’m going to have to live with it. Till this day I still feel the same I still want to make the change and lose weight but I lack the motivation. I say am going to do it and I don’t and I don’t know what else to do anymore. If I were to use the guidelines in improving ones