Positive self image is one of the most powerful foundations children can develop if we want them to grow into confident, capable and entrepreneurial people.
Our family’s entrepreneurial journey so far has been exhilarating. The more we learn about successful people and what makes them different, the more we understand our own subconscious beliefs, values, habits and mindset — and the more aware we become of what our children may be learning from us.
Positive Self Image and Our Entrepreneurial Journey
Our journey of self-discovery has allowed us to look deeply into our own habits, thoughts and belief systems, as well as the beliefs and behaviours our children may be developing.
What has really inspired us along the way are the people we are becoming friends with. Positive people with energy, motivation, connectedness and drive. These people are becoming part of our reference group, and simply being around them helps us absorb their energy and possibility.
We flew to Surfers Paradise on the Queensland Gold Coast to attend a three-day intensive Internet Marketing Boot Camp run by Sean Rasmussen. Sean’s rags-to-riches story was an inspiration. From working as an electrician on a mine site near Karratha in Western Australia, carrying a large debt and working very long hours, he became a wealthy and successful self-taught internet marketer.
He would spend long days working on the mine site, then teach himself internet marketing during the few waking hours he had at home. He made it his highest value to change his family’s economic situation by finding a way to build an online business.
Sean’s focus, persistence and family support paid off. Within a couple of years, he had built a successful business that replaced his income from his job and continued to grow from there.
Sean Rasmussen, Success and Positive Self Image
Our experience over the three-day weekend was mind-blowing. Sean’s knowledge, enthusiasm and sense of humour kept us captivated throughout the event.
We met many fantastic people who inspired us with their commitment, passion and the variety of topics they were blogging about.
Many people had major hurdles to overcome while pursuing their passions. There was Dave, who was 21 and had cerebral palsy. His supportive mum, Lynda, had four other children at home and still took the time to bring Dave to Sean’s Boot Camps because she wanted to expose him to the possibilities available.
There was Dr William — or Dr Bill as he was affectionately known — who was a spritely 80-plus years young. There was Catherine, who dreamed of working from home so she could spend more time with her baby girl. There was Helen, who came along with her husband Alex, and we worked out that Trev had taught her in Year 5 in Geraldton. There was Dale, who was passionate about natural health.
These were just some of the incredible people we met. Being around them reminded us how important environment, reference groups and self-belief are when building a positive self image and a mindset for success.
Connecting With People and Helping Them Find Answers
What we liked about Sean was his down-to-earth approach to life. He carried no airs or graces. He and his family enjoyed many of the same things our family does: a hobby farm, animals, weekend sport, family life and the simple everyday things.
Sean genuinely wanted to help people succeed. He gave value far beyond what you would expect from his training and programs, and he made genuine connections with people.
Sean explained that business is about finding out people’s problems and then providing answers.
This was not the first time we had heard this idea. Many successful people and mentors we have learned from have said the same thing:
Connect with people and help provide them the answers.
Sean pointed out that everybody is an expert in something. Find what you are passionate about, become that expert, discover what people want to know, and then build a business around your area of expertise.
For our children, this is a powerful lesson. A child does not have to wait until adulthood to notice their interests, practise their skills and begin seeing themselves as someone who can contribute value.
Why Positive Self Image Matters for Children
Self-esteem and self-image are important contributors to success. People must learn to take responsibility for their results in life rather than always looking for fault or blame in others.
Sean pointed out something powerful:
Your dreams already do come true. Make your dreams good ones.
This is where the idea of a positive self image becomes so important. Children tend to act in alignment with how they see themselves. If they see themselves as capable, creative, helpful and resilient, they are more likely to act that way. If they see themselves as failures, troublemakers or not good at anything, they may begin to live from that story too.
That is a heavy responsibility for parents, teachers and mentors.
Maxwell Maltz and Positive Self Image
Maxwell Maltz wrote Psycho-Cybernetics, a self-help classic that influenced many later teachers of success and mindset. His work explored the idea that self-image is central to human personality and behaviour. You can read more about Maxwell Maltz here.
Many success teachers, including Tony Robbins, Dr John Demartini, David Wood, Paul Counsel and Sean Rasmussen, have referred to similar ideas about self-image, belief and behaviour.
The idea is simple but powerful:
Change your self-image and you change the person.
Action, results and perception tend to stay consistent with self-image. We often act like the person we perceive ourselves to be, and our experiences often reinforce the way we already see ourselves.
Building a Positive Self Image in Children
We see examples of this every day. People act according to the way they perceive themselves, and these perceptions are often shaped at a young age.
To put it into context, students may fail because they are repeatedly told they are failures by parents, teachers or peers. Babies are born “clean”, and then the world begins shaping their self-image through words, reactions, expectations and experiences.
Success runs in the family — in the mind.
Maltz pointed out that success and defeat can travel through families because patterns of thought and behaviour are carried in the mind. If a person accepts defeat as part of their identity, they are more likely to behave from that place.
Sean explained that you are better off moving in the wrong direction than not moving at all. At least when you are going in the wrong direction, you can alter course and start heading in the right one.
It is important to set goals and move forward rather than live in the past. Negative feedback should not be seen as failure. It can be useful because it helps us correct errors and stay on track.
How to Develop a Healthy Self Image
A healthy self image allows children to search for answers rather than collapse in the face of difficulty. It helps them believe that even if they do not know the answer yet, an answer can be found.
These are some of the ideas we took from Sean Rasmussen’s Boot Camp and the teachings around self-image:
- Have a goal that already exists in actual or potential form. Choose something that feels achievable, while still encouraging children to aim high.
- Have the end result in mind. The “how” does not always need to be clear at the beginning. Sometimes the path appears once the intention is strong enough.
- Do not fear mistakes. Negative feedback is a vital part of learning. It helps children self-correct and stay on course.
- Dwell on successes. Children need to remember what worked, not only what went wrong. Success patterns can be strengthened through repetition.
- Trust the process. Worry can jam up progress. A clear intention and a healthy self image help children keep looking for solutions.
Rational Thinking and Self-Image
Your subconscious mind has no “will” of its own. It obeys your conscious demands, which are often based around your self-image thoughts.
Through conscious thinking, children can begin to challenge self-imposed limits. They can learn to question the stories they tell themselves, such as “I can’t do this,” “I always fail,” or “I’m not good at anything.”
Instead, we can help them practise more useful thoughts:
- I can learn this.
- I can try again.
- I can ask for help.
- I can improve with practise.
- I can solve problems.
This kind of thinking supports a positive self image and builds confidence over time.
Habits and Positive Self Image
It is often said that it takes about twenty-one days for something new to become familiar. Whether or not the exact number is always true, the principle is useful: repeated action begins to create comfort, familiarity and habit.
A simple exercise to test changing a habit is brushing your teeth for twenty-one days using your opposite hand. At first it feels awkward, but gradually it becomes more comfortable.
Children can use this same idea by copying the habits of people they admire. If they want better results, they can observe people who are already achieving those results and practise similar habits.
Napoleon Hill also referred to the importance of studying and developing the habits of successful people in Think and Grow Rich. For entrepreneurial kids, this is a practical way to build a stronger self-image: act like someone who learns, contributes, serves and keeps going.
Tips for Parents of Entrepreneurial Children
Why not teach your entrepreneurial kids to develop the habits of successful people?
Start by noticing everyday habits of people around them. Discuss how those habits may have contributed to the results they now have. Encourage your children to read or listen to biographies of successful people. Build your children’s self-image. Encourage them to lead, speak publicly, help with enterprise projects and celebrate their successes.
You can also challenge them with simple exercises that change the way they do things. These small changes help children realise that habits are not fixed. They can be changed, strengthened and improved.
A positive self image is not built through empty praise. It is built through repeated experiences of effort, responsibility, encouragement, courage and growth.
Key Takeaway: A Positive Self Image Shapes Success
Key takeaway: A positive self image helps children see themselves as capable, creative and able to grow. When parents model strong habits, encourage effort and help children reframe mistakes, they give entrepreneurial kids a stronger foundation for success.
Where to Next?
- Read Sean Rasmussen’s business success formula for students
- Read the previous Sean Rasmussen self-esteem article
- Visit Raise Entrepreneurial Kids
- Explore more family enterprise stories
How do you help your children build a positive self image? We would love to hear what has helped your family develop confidence, habits and a stronger mindset for success.