You Are Your Own Masterpiece; Work Hard On It

During your life on earth you have an important role, even if you have the humble, overly modest and disenchanting opinion that your existence is void. Remember one thing: you are your own masterpiece. This is not just meant to flatter your ego. It is a fundamental reality that you better see so that despair can no longer settle in your life. Once you stop hoping, you lose everything.

You may feel somewhat useless, sad, tired and ashamed of the uncertainty your life is in. But you should know that there are strategies to cure this. You are your masterpiece. Work hard on it.

Change perspective

Psychologist George Kelly created the Fixed-Role technique, in which a person who has become ’emotionally blocked’ by a certain problem is given a different role. The idea behind this is that the person may experience this as an alternative to the role he envisioned for himself, which may make him feel that he is now limited in his thoughts in seeking alternatives on his own.

This technique helps us understand that life isn’t about pretending to be someone else to be happy, but maybe we should look at other alternatives that can shape our personality so that we stop manifesting toxic thoughts which only hinder the emergence of anything that is somewhat positive.

The idea is that you are your own sculptor who, little by little and over time, shapes and sculpts based on the knowledge and strategies he has learned. You are your own masterpiece.

Focus on change

If you value yourself, it’s time you recognized the need for change. Also recognize that those changes require perseverance and commitment. Make a behavioral plan for this:

• Be realistic about your situation, but at the same time make plans to improve it in the medium to long term.
• Keep your values ​​in mind; don’t forget what’s important to you. This is the only thing that will keep your head above water throughout the process.
• Design a plan that is realistic, but at the same time does not neglect your goal.
• Try this plan for a while to see if it’s sustainable in the long run. This is a crucial step.
• Be aware that working on yourself requires adopting certain habits.  It generally takes a month to get used to this.
• Be careful in your choice when it comes to the people around you. Be smart. Stick to your emotional plot, but at the same time surround yourself with people who share new interests and goals with you. Remember that quantity is rarely the same as quality.

• Perseverance, persistence, persistence. Set small goals for yourself every day and reward yourself when you achieve them.
• Don’t think about what you’ve left behind. Thinking about the options we give up when we decide to take a certain path only brings us uncertainty and makes it more difficult to continue pursuing the chosen option.
• Be careful of certain cognitive powers, such as the fallacy of divine retribution.
• Take your goal as a fact, not a dream.

What are you passionate about? And what don’t you like?

If you know what you are passionate about, do it as often as possible. If you also know what things you don’t like, do them as little as possible unless you have no other option due to obligations, chance, or responsibilities. This seemingly simple rule is what distinguishes adulthood from emotional masochism.

Another very important aspect to keep in mind is the fact that many behaviors that we are passionate about are accompanied by others that are less wise. When reading a book for you is accompanied by smoking a cigarette, for example. We need to change our habits not only to implement new ones, but also to improve the ones we already have. These are fundamental aspects, such as when you do them, with whom, how often, where, what time, etc.

Because if you are your own masterpiece, what would you like to add to it?

Stop trying to turn the page; close the whole book if you need to

Sometimes we try to get something positive out of the experiences we have, even if there is little positive about them. It’s good to keep learning from hard times, but since we sometimes want to be too selfless, we try to salvage a little bit of everything that’s been destroyed in hopes of securing our self-esteem. We think that something that is good can always be saved from everything that is bad. But if the flames were very high and intense, don’t throw yourself into the fire again just because you want to try to save something. You will eventually burn yourself badly.

Remember, any time is a good time to grab a canvas, put it in the sun, and paint it. Remember that this canvas has a history, but some conditions are so optimal that it can eventually become a work of art.

This is why you too need to sit in the sun, pamper yourself, love yourself. Believe that your work is unfinished. It may not be perfect (after all, the passing of time has certainly had its effect), but in reality it is that blank canvas in the sunlight. That’s your life and that’s the truth. Everything else is your thoughts, which always lie a little and sometimes keep us from continuing to paint. You are your own masterpiece, don’t forget this!