Nov 09
22
How do you express yourself?
When was the last time you truly expressed yourself? The time you let everybody realise how you felt and what you’re about. Give yourself a few minutes to think when it was! As you think about it, recall a few more details, such as what exactly happened, who was there, if anybody, where did it happen, how did it happen.
How many of you are thinking of a time when you had a ‘screaming and shouting match’ with somebody, or you bawled somebody out or maybe you let your teenage children know how you felt. Yes, these are ways of expressing yourself, unfortunately they’re the ones that we don’t care too much for, or recall too often.
However you choose to express yourself, it will have an effect on your reputation and respect you have from other people. An inappropriate exhibition of self expression will seriously tarnish your image and like-ability. On the other hand, a very carefully controlled expression of yourself will be extremely beneficial to your image and status among your peers. What are the benefits of expressing yourself? What are the benefits of not expressing yourself?
Of the two styles of self expression, I’m sure you would all prefer the latter, however as you are creatures full of emotion, that at times get the better of you, you can’t always guarantee to express yourself appropriately. So how much control do you have over how you express yourself? When you consider that you own your emotions and you are in sole charge and control of your body, it follows that you must have full say in how you respond in any given situation. That sounds too straight forward and simplistic for it to be true; on the face of it is that simple, however there is more to it than meets the eye.
So is it just a case of controlling your emotions? If so what’s the procedure? I would say there’s a correct procedure, however I think there’s probably a preferred or acceptable behaviour for self expression. Generally this is one where you are in control of your emotions and displaying appropriate and acceptable behaviour. Having said that there are probably a number of ways to express yourself in your different social settings; these are usually decided upon with unwritten rules, set at local level. So how are your emotions when it comes to expressing yourself? Are you a person who wants more control over your emotions, if so try the following exercise. Include in your personal development training.
- Identify the emotion that is causing your behaviour; is it anger, fear, anxiety or depression?
- Link the emotion to the feelings you are having at that time and ask; what is caused me to feel like this?
- What are you thinking about? What thoughts are going through your mind?
- What is causing these thoughts?
- Is there a valid reason for these thoughts? Are you the only person who responds in this way?
- What are the alternative ways to look at this situation?
- What is your mood at the moment?
- Address your values and ask yourself whether or not you are being reasonable with yourself!
Answer the above questions with care and complete honesty! The exercise will help you gain more control over your emotions; consequently change the way you express yourself in those important situations. Learning to control your emotions will help you choose your responses in situations where you would otherwise express yourself inappropriately. I’m sure you want to be thought of as an expressive person but in a way that is beneficial rather than detrimental to your reputation.
There are many other examples of how you can express yourself in a positive way; physically, mentally, verbally and visually. There are many successful personalities who have become famous because of their ability to express themselves using their talent and skills. For example poets through writing, painters through their art work, motivational gurus through their public speaking, runway models through their physical appearance, singers through their voice and sports people through their sport. The artists Van Gogh and Monet were classified as expressionists. However you don’t need to be famous to express yourself, either inappropriately or using your special talent. Using the above exercise and developing your talent and expressing it could make you famous!
There are number of different situations you can use to express yourself everyday; job interview, socially, workplace, in the home, in public and in private. It is unhealthy if you fail to express yourself; if you choose to ‘bottle up’ your emotions. Learn to express yourself through your skills and talents and encourage your self development.
There are one or two question to ask yourself as you begin your personal growth towards self expression. Will your self expression make you one of the crowd? Is it important to be one of the crowd? What will people think of you if you are continually expressing yourself? What will people think of you if you don’t express yourself? The timing of your expression takes up some importance so be sure to choose the right moment to express yourself and consider the consequences of choosing the wrong moment.
Spend a few minutes to reflect on what you have read, do you consider yourself to be an expressive person? When you are with people how easy do you find it to express yourself? How do you like to express yourself? Use your journal diary to make yourself somes notes about what you do currently and how you are going to change, if you want to.
Thank you for reading this post, please let me know what you think and share your experiences. While you’re here please take the time to sign up for the newsletter or alternatively you may prefer to subscribe for regular updates in your favourite reader or by email.
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